what everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · needs versus wants...

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COMMON SENSE ECONOMICS ~ WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WEALTH AND PROSPERITY 2010 by James Gwartney, Richard Stroup, Dwight Lee, and Tawni Ferrarini http://CommonSenseEconomics.com/ 1

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Page 1: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

COMMON SENSE ECONOMICS ~

WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

ABOUT WEALTH AND PROSPERITY

2010

by James Gwartney Richard

Stroup Dwight Lee and Tawni

Ferrarini

httpCommonSenseEconomicscom

1

WHY IS THERE FINANCIAL INSECURITY

IN THE US

Do You Think It Is Because Incomes Are Low

Are There Other Reasons

Letrsquos Look at Some Statisticshellip

2

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3

HISTORICALLY US INCOME IS RISING

AND HAS RARELY BEEN HIGHER

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4

TOTAL CONSUMPTION IS ALSO

GROWING ALONG WITH INCOME

THERE IS STILL FINANCIAL INSECURITY SOLETrsquoS TAKE A LOOK AT POSSIBLE SOURCES IN THE

PRIVATE SECTOR WITH RESPECT TO THE RATES OF

SAVING REMEMBER SAVINGS HELP PEOPLE TO PREPARE

FOR ldquoRAINY DAYrdquo EXPENSES AND THEIR FUTURES

5

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SINCE THE 1980S THE US SAVING

RATE IS FALLING WHILE THE

CONSUMPTION RATE IS RISING AND

RISING FASTER THAN INCOME hellip

HOW CAN THIS BE

6

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HOUSEHOLD DEBT TO INCOME RATIO

Between 1953-1980 required payments on outstanding mortgage and consumer debt by households accounted for 40 to 65 of net income

Since the early 1980s this debt-to-income ratio has risen at an alarming rate

In 2007 it reached 135 a two-fold increase since the mid-1980s

7

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Source Economagiccom

CONSUMER DEBT PAYMENTS ON CONSUMER DEBT

(WHICH DO NOT INCLUDE MORTGAGES) AS A

PERCENTAGE OF INCOME ROSE CONSIDERABLY IN THE

YEARS LEADING UP TO THE GREAT RECESSION

8

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$000

$500000

$1000000

$1500000

$2000000

$2500000

20

09

SA

Do

lla

rs

Real Consumer Credit Outstanding Per Household

REAL CONSUMER CREDIT DEBT (CREDIT CARD

BALANCES PRIOR TO PAYMENT) PER HOUSEHOLD

HAS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE 1970

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES PER

HOUSEHOLD RISES SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL

RECENTLY

10

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$0

$1000

$2000

$3000

$4000

$5000

$6000

$7000

$8000

$9000

$10000

Real Unpaid Credit Card Balances

Per US Household

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES AS A SHARE

OF CONSUMER CREDIT HAS INCREASED

SUBSTANTIALLY

11

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Unpaid Credit Card Balances as a of

Consumer Credit

Source Economagiccom

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 2: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

WHY IS THERE FINANCIAL INSECURITY

IN THE US

Do You Think It Is Because Incomes Are Low

Are There Other Reasons

Letrsquos Look at Some Statisticshellip

2

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3

HISTORICALLY US INCOME IS RISING

AND HAS RARELY BEEN HIGHER

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4

TOTAL CONSUMPTION IS ALSO

GROWING ALONG WITH INCOME

THERE IS STILL FINANCIAL INSECURITY SOLETrsquoS TAKE A LOOK AT POSSIBLE SOURCES IN THE

PRIVATE SECTOR WITH RESPECT TO THE RATES OF

SAVING REMEMBER SAVINGS HELP PEOPLE TO PREPARE

FOR ldquoRAINY DAYrdquo EXPENSES AND THEIR FUTURES

5

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SINCE THE 1980S THE US SAVING

RATE IS FALLING WHILE THE

CONSUMPTION RATE IS RISING AND

RISING FASTER THAN INCOME hellip

HOW CAN THIS BE

6

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HOUSEHOLD DEBT TO INCOME RATIO

Between 1953-1980 required payments on outstanding mortgage and consumer debt by households accounted for 40 to 65 of net income

Since the early 1980s this debt-to-income ratio has risen at an alarming rate

In 2007 it reached 135 a two-fold increase since the mid-1980s

7

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Source Economagiccom

CONSUMER DEBT PAYMENTS ON CONSUMER DEBT

(WHICH DO NOT INCLUDE MORTGAGES) AS A

PERCENTAGE OF INCOME ROSE CONSIDERABLY IN THE

YEARS LEADING UP TO THE GREAT RECESSION

8

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$000

$500000

$1000000

$1500000

$2000000

$2500000

20

09

SA

Do

lla

rs

Real Consumer Credit Outstanding Per Household

REAL CONSUMER CREDIT DEBT (CREDIT CARD

BALANCES PRIOR TO PAYMENT) PER HOUSEHOLD

HAS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE 1970

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES PER

HOUSEHOLD RISES SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL

RECENTLY

10

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$0

$1000

$2000

$3000

$4000

$5000

$6000

$7000

$8000

$9000

$10000

Real Unpaid Credit Card Balances

Per US Household

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES AS A SHARE

OF CONSUMER CREDIT HAS INCREASED

SUBSTANTIALLY

11

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Unpaid Credit Card Balances as a of

Consumer Credit

Source Economagiccom

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 3: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

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3

HISTORICALLY US INCOME IS RISING

AND HAS RARELY BEEN HIGHER

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4

TOTAL CONSUMPTION IS ALSO

GROWING ALONG WITH INCOME

THERE IS STILL FINANCIAL INSECURITY SOLETrsquoS TAKE A LOOK AT POSSIBLE SOURCES IN THE

PRIVATE SECTOR WITH RESPECT TO THE RATES OF

SAVING REMEMBER SAVINGS HELP PEOPLE TO PREPARE

FOR ldquoRAINY DAYrdquo EXPENSES AND THEIR FUTURES

5

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SINCE THE 1980S THE US SAVING

RATE IS FALLING WHILE THE

CONSUMPTION RATE IS RISING AND

RISING FASTER THAN INCOME hellip

HOW CAN THIS BE

6

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HOUSEHOLD DEBT TO INCOME RATIO

Between 1953-1980 required payments on outstanding mortgage and consumer debt by households accounted for 40 to 65 of net income

Since the early 1980s this debt-to-income ratio has risen at an alarming rate

In 2007 it reached 135 a two-fold increase since the mid-1980s

7

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Source Economagiccom

CONSUMER DEBT PAYMENTS ON CONSUMER DEBT

(WHICH DO NOT INCLUDE MORTGAGES) AS A

PERCENTAGE OF INCOME ROSE CONSIDERABLY IN THE

YEARS LEADING UP TO THE GREAT RECESSION

8

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$000

$500000

$1000000

$1500000

$2000000

$2500000

20

09

SA

Do

lla

rs

Real Consumer Credit Outstanding Per Household

REAL CONSUMER CREDIT DEBT (CREDIT CARD

BALANCES PRIOR TO PAYMENT) PER HOUSEHOLD

HAS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE 1970

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES PER

HOUSEHOLD RISES SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL

RECENTLY

10

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$0

$1000

$2000

$3000

$4000

$5000

$6000

$7000

$8000

$9000

$10000

Real Unpaid Credit Card Balances

Per US Household

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES AS A SHARE

OF CONSUMER CREDIT HAS INCREASED

SUBSTANTIALLY

11

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Unpaid Credit Card Balances as a of

Consumer Credit

Source Economagiccom

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 4: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

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4

TOTAL CONSUMPTION IS ALSO

GROWING ALONG WITH INCOME

THERE IS STILL FINANCIAL INSECURITY SOLETrsquoS TAKE A LOOK AT POSSIBLE SOURCES IN THE

PRIVATE SECTOR WITH RESPECT TO THE RATES OF

SAVING REMEMBER SAVINGS HELP PEOPLE TO PREPARE

FOR ldquoRAINY DAYrdquo EXPENSES AND THEIR FUTURES

5

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SINCE THE 1980S THE US SAVING

RATE IS FALLING WHILE THE

CONSUMPTION RATE IS RISING AND

RISING FASTER THAN INCOME hellip

HOW CAN THIS BE

6

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HOUSEHOLD DEBT TO INCOME RATIO

Between 1953-1980 required payments on outstanding mortgage and consumer debt by households accounted for 40 to 65 of net income

Since the early 1980s this debt-to-income ratio has risen at an alarming rate

In 2007 it reached 135 a two-fold increase since the mid-1980s

7

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Source Economagiccom

CONSUMER DEBT PAYMENTS ON CONSUMER DEBT

(WHICH DO NOT INCLUDE MORTGAGES) AS A

PERCENTAGE OF INCOME ROSE CONSIDERABLY IN THE

YEARS LEADING UP TO THE GREAT RECESSION

8

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$000

$500000

$1000000

$1500000

$2000000

$2500000

20

09

SA

Do

lla

rs

Real Consumer Credit Outstanding Per Household

REAL CONSUMER CREDIT DEBT (CREDIT CARD

BALANCES PRIOR TO PAYMENT) PER HOUSEHOLD

HAS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE 1970

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES PER

HOUSEHOLD RISES SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL

RECENTLY

10

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$0

$1000

$2000

$3000

$4000

$5000

$6000

$7000

$8000

$9000

$10000

Real Unpaid Credit Card Balances

Per US Household

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES AS A SHARE

OF CONSUMER CREDIT HAS INCREASED

SUBSTANTIALLY

11

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Unpaid Credit Card Balances as a of

Consumer Credit

Source Economagiccom

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 5: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

THERE IS STILL FINANCIAL INSECURITY SOLETrsquoS TAKE A LOOK AT POSSIBLE SOURCES IN THE

PRIVATE SECTOR WITH RESPECT TO THE RATES OF

SAVING REMEMBER SAVINGS HELP PEOPLE TO PREPARE

FOR ldquoRAINY DAYrdquo EXPENSES AND THEIR FUTURES

5

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SINCE THE 1980S THE US SAVING

RATE IS FALLING WHILE THE

CONSUMPTION RATE IS RISING AND

RISING FASTER THAN INCOME hellip

HOW CAN THIS BE

6

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HOUSEHOLD DEBT TO INCOME RATIO

Between 1953-1980 required payments on outstanding mortgage and consumer debt by households accounted for 40 to 65 of net income

Since the early 1980s this debt-to-income ratio has risen at an alarming rate

In 2007 it reached 135 a two-fold increase since the mid-1980s

7

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Source Economagiccom

CONSUMER DEBT PAYMENTS ON CONSUMER DEBT

(WHICH DO NOT INCLUDE MORTGAGES) AS A

PERCENTAGE OF INCOME ROSE CONSIDERABLY IN THE

YEARS LEADING UP TO THE GREAT RECESSION

8

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$000

$500000

$1000000

$1500000

$2000000

$2500000

20

09

SA

Do

lla

rs

Real Consumer Credit Outstanding Per Household

REAL CONSUMER CREDIT DEBT (CREDIT CARD

BALANCES PRIOR TO PAYMENT) PER HOUSEHOLD

HAS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE 1970

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES PER

HOUSEHOLD RISES SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL

RECENTLY

10

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$0

$1000

$2000

$3000

$4000

$5000

$6000

$7000

$8000

$9000

$10000

Real Unpaid Credit Card Balances

Per US Household

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES AS A SHARE

OF CONSUMER CREDIT HAS INCREASED

SUBSTANTIALLY

11

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Unpaid Credit Card Balances as a of

Consumer Credit

Source Economagiccom

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

http

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 6: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

SINCE THE 1980S THE US SAVING

RATE IS FALLING WHILE THE

CONSUMPTION RATE IS RISING AND

RISING FASTER THAN INCOME hellip

HOW CAN THIS BE

6

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HOUSEHOLD DEBT TO INCOME RATIO

Between 1953-1980 required payments on outstanding mortgage and consumer debt by households accounted for 40 to 65 of net income

Since the early 1980s this debt-to-income ratio has risen at an alarming rate

In 2007 it reached 135 a two-fold increase since the mid-1980s

7

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Source Economagiccom

CONSUMER DEBT PAYMENTS ON CONSUMER DEBT

(WHICH DO NOT INCLUDE MORTGAGES) AS A

PERCENTAGE OF INCOME ROSE CONSIDERABLY IN THE

YEARS LEADING UP TO THE GREAT RECESSION

8

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$000

$500000

$1000000

$1500000

$2000000

$2500000

20

09

SA

Do

lla

rs

Real Consumer Credit Outstanding Per Household

REAL CONSUMER CREDIT DEBT (CREDIT CARD

BALANCES PRIOR TO PAYMENT) PER HOUSEHOLD

HAS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE 1970

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES PER

HOUSEHOLD RISES SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL

RECENTLY

10

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$0

$1000

$2000

$3000

$4000

$5000

$6000

$7000

$8000

$9000

$10000

Real Unpaid Credit Card Balances

Per US Household

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES AS A SHARE

OF CONSUMER CREDIT HAS INCREASED

SUBSTANTIALLY

11

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Unpaid Credit Card Balances as a of

Consumer Credit

Source Economagiccom

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 7: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

HOUSEHOLD DEBT TO INCOME RATIO

Between 1953-1980 required payments on outstanding mortgage and consumer debt by households accounted for 40 to 65 of net income

Since the early 1980s this debt-to-income ratio has risen at an alarming rate

In 2007 it reached 135 a two-fold increase since the mid-1980s

7

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Source Economagiccom

CONSUMER DEBT PAYMENTS ON CONSUMER DEBT

(WHICH DO NOT INCLUDE MORTGAGES) AS A

PERCENTAGE OF INCOME ROSE CONSIDERABLY IN THE

YEARS LEADING UP TO THE GREAT RECESSION

8

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$000

$500000

$1000000

$1500000

$2000000

$2500000

20

09

SA

Do

lla

rs

Real Consumer Credit Outstanding Per Household

REAL CONSUMER CREDIT DEBT (CREDIT CARD

BALANCES PRIOR TO PAYMENT) PER HOUSEHOLD

HAS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE 1970

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES PER

HOUSEHOLD RISES SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL

RECENTLY

10

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$0

$1000

$2000

$3000

$4000

$5000

$6000

$7000

$8000

$9000

$10000

Real Unpaid Credit Card Balances

Per US Household

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES AS A SHARE

OF CONSUMER CREDIT HAS INCREASED

SUBSTANTIALLY

11

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Unpaid Credit Card Balances as a of

Consumer Credit

Source Economagiccom

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 8: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

CONSUMER DEBT PAYMENTS ON CONSUMER DEBT

(WHICH DO NOT INCLUDE MORTGAGES) AS A

PERCENTAGE OF INCOME ROSE CONSIDERABLY IN THE

YEARS LEADING UP TO THE GREAT RECESSION

8

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$000

$500000

$1000000

$1500000

$2000000

$2500000

20

09

SA

Do

lla

rs

Real Consumer Credit Outstanding Per Household

REAL CONSUMER CREDIT DEBT (CREDIT CARD

BALANCES PRIOR TO PAYMENT) PER HOUSEHOLD

HAS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE 1970

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES PER

HOUSEHOLD RISES SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL

RECENTLY

10

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$0

$1000

$2000

$3000

$4000

$5000

$6000

$7000

$8000

$9000

$10000

Real Unpaid Credit Card Balances

Per US Household

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES AS A SHARE

OF CONSUMER CREDIT HAS INCREASED

SUBSTANTIALLY

11

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Unpaid Credit Card Balances as a of

Consumer Credit

Source Economagiccom

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 9: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

$000

$500000

$1000000

$1500000

$2000000

$2500000

20

09

SA

Do

lla

rs

Real Consumer Credit Outstanding Per Household

REAL CONSUMER CREDIT DEBT (CREDIT CARD

BALANCES PRIOR TO PAYMENT) PER HOUSEHOLD

HAS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE 1970

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES PER

HOUSEHOLD RISES SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL

RECENTLY

10

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$0

$1000

$2000

$3000

$4000

$5000

$6000

$7000

$8000

$9000

$10000

Real Unpaid Credit Card Balances

Per US Household

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES AS A SHARE

OF CONSUMER CREDIT HAS INCREASED

SUBSTANTIALLY

11

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Unpaid Credit Card Balances as a of

Consumer Credit

Source Economagiccom

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 10: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES PER

HOUSEHOLD RISES SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL

RECENTLY

10

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$0

$1000

$2000

$3000

$4000

$5000

$6000

$7000

$8000

$9000

$10000

Real Unpaid Credit Card Balances

Per US Household

Source Economagiccom

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES AS A SHARE

OF CONSUMER CREDIT HAS INCREASED

SUBSTANTIALLY

11

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Unpaid Credit Card Balances as a of

Consumer Credit

Source Economagiccom

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 11: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

UNPAID CREDIT CARD BALANCES AS A SHARE

OF CONSUMER CREDIT HAS INCREASED

SUBSTANTIALLY

11

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Unpaid Credit Card Balances as a of

Consumer Credit

Source Economagiccom

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 12: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

LETrsquoS SUMMARIZE RECENT TRENDS IN

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE

Real income per person has risen

But consumption has risen even more rapidly

and personal savings has declined

Much of the growth in consumption was

financed by debt including credit card debt

The unpaid credit card balances have

increased as a share of consumer debt

12

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THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 13: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

THESE TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD

FINANCE

Illustrate why it is important to get control

of your personal finances

If you do not control your finances they will

control you

As the above slides indicate many

Americans have lost control over their

finances Donrsquot let this happen to you

Take hold of the Twelve Key Elements of

Practical Personal Finance

13

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WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 14: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

WHICH DECISION HELP YOU GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Decisions to

Budget and save regularly

Use credit cards prudently

Consume wisely and

Invest strategically

14

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WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 15: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

WHY DO WE NEED OR WANT FINANCIAL

SECURITY

Live Better

Less Conflict in Marriage

Better Health

More Leisure and Recreation

More Time with Family

Help Us Achieve Religious Goals

Attain Higher Levels of Education

Retirement is Easier

Increase Our Charitable Contributions

15

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PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 16: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PLANNING TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL

SECURITY INVOLVES

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL

PERSONAL FINANCE

If you dont know where you are going you might wind

up someplace else

- Yogi Berra

16

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 17: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 1

Discover your comparative advantage

17

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COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 18: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Discover what you can produce of value at a

lower cost than others Think opportunity costs

Find out what others value and consider their

willingness to pay you to produce your relatively

low-cost good or service

Trade your specialized services and goods for

income

Use that income to buy those goods and services

that would be expensive for you to produce Save

to achieve other financial goals

Exchange is mutually advantageous Consider

the scenario presented in the next slide18

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 19: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

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19

FARMER JOHN VS NURSE AMY CAN THEY

GAIN FROM SPECIALIZATION AND TRADE

What Do You Gain from Their Specialization and Trade

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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com

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 20: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

WHATrsquoS YOUR COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

Think about what you are

good at doing and enjoy Is

this something othersrsquo

value highly Do you have

a passion for it

Is your educational

training helping you

develop a comparative

advantage Do others

value your degree How

do you know

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20

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 21: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 2

Be entrepreneurial In a market economy

people maximize their income by providing

services and goods others value They get

ahead by discovering better ways of doing

things in and outside their workplaces

21

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THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 22: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

THE ENTREPRENEUR NEXT DOOR

Entrepreneurs

actively pursue

discovering better

ways of doing things

They plan and this

permits them to act

quickly and

strategically on new

opportunities

Entrepreneurs fuel

economic growth and

development22

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ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 23: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

ENTREPRENEURSrsquo SUCCESS IS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO

Their ability to discover

New products that are highly valued relative

to costs

Cost-reducing production methods and

Profitable opportunities that others overlook

or pass by

23

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 24: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

ENTREPRENEURS HAVE A TOLERANCE

FOR STRATEGIC RISK

Entrepreneurial activity and self-

employment are riskier than being

employed by a proprietor partnership or

corporation But greater risk can translate

into higher income and more wealth

24

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ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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com

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 25: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

ENTREPRENEURS HAVE HIGH SAVINGS

RATES

Often they sacrifice consumption today in

order to invest in their businesses adding

to their wealth

25

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ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 26: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

ENTREPRENEURS WORK HARD AND SMART

Entrepreneurs business owners and

independent contractors tend to work long

hours and they work smart

26

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 27: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 3

Use budgeting to help you save regularly

and spend your money more effectively

27

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ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 28: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

ldquoMy other piece of advice Copperfieldrsquorsquo said Mr

Micawber ldquoyou know Annual income twenty

pounds annual expenditure nineteen six result

happiness Annual income twenty pounds annual

expenditure twenty pounds ought and six result

miseryrsquorsquo

-CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD

28

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WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 29: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

WHY IS BUDGETING AND SAVING

IMPORTANT

Most financial insecurity today is the

consequence of poor saving lack of

budgeting and other unwise financial

habits

Consuming less of what you earn or

produce today allows you to consume more

in the future

Budgeting consuming saving and

investing today helps you build wealth

29

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BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 30: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

BUDGETING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Budgeting in four simple stepshellip

30

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STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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com

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 31: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

STEP 1 START TODAY

Change your personal spending behavior

and use savings to contribute to wealth

building ndash one step at a time

If you do not start now it is unlikely that

you will do so later

31

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STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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com

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 32: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

STEP 2 SET GOALS

Short- term goals (less than a year

immediate gratification)

Medium- term goals (one to five years

gratification in the near future)

Long-term goals (more than five years

gratification over your lifetime)

32

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STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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com

mon

sen

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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com

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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com

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 33: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

STEP 3 DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION

Create a personal budget with actual and

proposed items to achieve your financial

goals

See Supplemental Unit 10 Budgeting and

Financial Fitness for Life

33

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STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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com

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

http

com

mon

sen

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

http

com

mon

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icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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com

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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com

mon

sen

seeco

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icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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com

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sen

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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com

mon

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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com

mon

sen

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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com

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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com

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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com

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 34: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

STEP 4 TAKE THE PLUNGE

Begin consuming less of your discretionary

income today and build a savings and

investment program now to meet your

financial goals By doing so you will

Increase your wealth

Live a less stressful a more financially free

life

Achieve high consumption levels in the future

34

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ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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com

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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com

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icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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com

mon

sen

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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com

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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com

mon

sen

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

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nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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nom

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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com

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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com

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sen

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icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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com

mon

sen

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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com

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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com

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sen

seeco

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 35: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

ldquoAN AFTERNOON COFFEE ANYONErdquo AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF LESS

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OR MORE SAVING

Many people buy a premium cup of coffee soda

bottle of water caffeinated drink or some other type

of liquid each day Assume each drink costs $2

At the age of 22 stop buying a drink each day and place that

$2 per day into an investment

At the age of 24 bump it up by $1 and save $3 a day Your

income will likely increase So it should be easy

At the age of 26 increase your daily savings to $4 a day

Do this until you are 30 years of age and you will have saved

$9490 plus interest Pretty good

By the time you retire at age sixty-seven that early start can

easily add $153305 to your wealth if invested wisely at

about 7 percent a year (More on this expected rate of return

later)35

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NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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com

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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com

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sen

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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com

mon

sen

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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com

mon

sen

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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com

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icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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com

mon

sen

seeco

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 36: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Really think about what you need versus

what you want

Most of what you ldquoneedrdquo is really only

something you ldquowantrdquo

Think of creative ways to spend less on

ldquowantsrdquo by using coupons buying discounted

products etc

Avoid over-spending and excessive debt get

the most out of your money invest

strategically and steer clear of unwise

investment schemes This advice will serve

you well now and in the future36

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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com

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sen

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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com

mon

sen

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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com

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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com

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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com

mon

sen

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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com

mon

sen

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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com

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sen

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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com

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icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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com

mon

sen

seeco

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icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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com

mon

sen

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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com

mon

sen

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icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 37: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 4

Donrsquot finance anything for longer than its

useful life

37

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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com

mon

sen

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icscom

YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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com

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sen

seeco

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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com

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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com

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sen

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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com

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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com

mon

sen

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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com

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sen

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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com

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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com

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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com

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 38: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

WHAT FINANCING DOES

Financing makes it possible for you to buy

now and pay later

Purchase on credit only when you are

buying revenue generating assets in order

to earn positive net returns

If what you finance will not generate future

earnings you are reducing your wealth and

going deeper into debt

38

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GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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com

mon

sen

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icscom

BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

http

com

mon

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icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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com

mon

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icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

http

com

mon

sen

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nom

icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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com

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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com

mon

sen

seeco

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icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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com

mon

sen

seeco

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icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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com

mon

sen

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icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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com

mon

sen

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icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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com

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sen

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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com

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sen

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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com

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sen

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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com

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sen

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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com

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sen

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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com

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sen

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 39: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

GOOD DEBT IS THERE SUCH A THING

When goods and services financed now promise to

yield a return greater than cost of borrowing

(interest rate) taking on debt is strategic Under

certain circumstances the following generate

income and wealth over time These ldquogood debtsrdquo

can help increase your net worth (assets less

liabilities)

Residential home

Education

Automobile

39

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STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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com

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WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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sen

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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com

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 40: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

STRAIGHTFORWARD RULE

Do not borrow funds to finance anything

other than housing automobiles and

education

Period

40

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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com

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sen

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icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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com

mon

sen

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nom

icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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com

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sen

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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com

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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com

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sen

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icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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com

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sen

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icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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com

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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com

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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com

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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com

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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com

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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com

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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com

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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com

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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com

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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com

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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com

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 41: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED

Nondurables ndash Goods that are consumed or

items that depreciate in value quickly

Once consumed food clothing nights-out-

with-friends and concerts are gone

Payments (and interest on the debt) will

linger if not paid for immediately

41

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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com

mon

sen

seeco

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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com

mon

sen

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nom

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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com

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sen

seeco

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icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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com

mon

sen

seeco

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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com

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sen

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icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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com

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sen

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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com

mon

sen

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nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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com

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sen

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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com

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sen

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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com

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sen

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icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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com

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sen

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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com

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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com

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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com

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 42: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 5

Two ways to get more out of your money

Avoid creditcard debt and consider

purchasing used items

42

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com

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PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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com

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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com

mon

sen

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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com

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icscom

YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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com

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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com

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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com

mon

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icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 43: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRUDENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD

Pay off the balance in full each month

Do not buy the item if you cannot afford to

pay for it immediately

If you are unable to discipline yourself in

this area cut up your credit card and use

only cash

43

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com

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sen

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

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com

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sen

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IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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com

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YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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com

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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com

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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com

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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com

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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com

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icscom

Page 44: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE ~ DONrsquoT

FALL PREY

Paying with a credit card is NOT spending

your own money but borrowing someone

elsersquos IF you do not pay right away

Interest rates on credit cards are high

because they are unsecured Interest

charges will outstrip what you can earn on

savings and investments

Think of your credit card as an extension of

your checking accounthellipAlways pay your

credit card bill in full44

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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com

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sen

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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com

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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com

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sen

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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com

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THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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com

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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com

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sen

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icscom

Page 45: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

IT TAKES HOW LONG

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How many months will it take you to pay the

credit card off

47 80 100 or 155 months

155 months

45

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com

mon

sen

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icscom

YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

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icscom

BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

http

com

mon

sen

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icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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com

mon

sen

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icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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com

mon

sen

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icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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com

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icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

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nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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com

mon

sen

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icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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com

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sen

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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Page 46: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

YOU PAID HOW MUCH

You buy new clothes go to a once-in-a-life-time

concert with friends and buy more and more until

you gradually hit your credit limit of $3000 at

18 You can only manage to pay the minimum

of $50 each month

How much does the $3000 end up costing you in

interest

$360 $720 $1300 or about $4700

$474535 in interest And the items costing $3000

are gone and it will take you 155 months (almost

13 years) to be rid of your debt

46

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BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

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com

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

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com

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DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

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com

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RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

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55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 47: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

BUY USED ~ WHEN STRATEGIC

Is buying new worth it

Depreciation costs make new cars

expensive They depreciate substantially

when driven off the lot and they depreciate

rapidly in the first three years

Used cars may have slightly higher

maintenance costs but their depreciation

costs are much lower

Consider buying used Visit Edmundscom

and compare47

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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com

mon

sen

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TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

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com

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sen

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INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

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com

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sen

seeco

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

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com

mon

sen

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icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

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com

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sen

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icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

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STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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com

mon

sen

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BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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com

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sen

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RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

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com

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ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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com

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

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com

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sen

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THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

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com

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sen

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THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

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com

mon

sen

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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com

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 48: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PREY ON THE

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE AND

UNDISCIPLINED

Advertisement of a credit card company

ldquoYou want it all and you want it now Our

credit card will make it possiblerdquo

Is this a lie Are goods scarce Can we have everything without

sacrifice

How will going deeper into debt affect your wealth

and future consumption

48

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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com

mon

sen

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icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 49: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THINK

YOU CAN BE DUPED

0 introductory APR on all purchases and

balance transfers for up to 6 months

No annual fee

Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase

every day

Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you

make $799 in purchases in your first three

months

5 cash back when you spend at certain

travel agencies gas stations grocery stores

restaurants and other retailers 49

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

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com

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sen

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REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

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59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

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com

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sen

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60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

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ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

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com

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sen

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PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

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com

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THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

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com

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sen

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

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com

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sen

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AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

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com

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PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

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com

mon

sen

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nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

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com

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sen

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MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

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com

mon

sen

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nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 50: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

CREDIT CARDS

Learn about the credit card offers ndash If they

are too good to be true stay away

Understand your credit card statement

Pay the credit card off in full

Keep abreast of key changes in credit card

rules Regularly visit Federal Reserve

Board Consumers Guide to Credit Cards

50

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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com

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sen

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icscom

Page 51: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 6

Pay into a ldquoreal-worldrdquo savings account

every month

51

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

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PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 52: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

RAINY DAYS AND THE REAL WORLD

Life is full of ldquosurprisesrdquo and theyrsquore

usually expensive Cars break down

Computers crash and smart phones die

Heaters and air conditioners go

People get sick or injured

52

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

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com

mon

sen

seeco

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icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 53: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PLAN FOR YOUR RAINY DAYS

The only ldquosurpriserdquo is the timing So put a

plan in place Include this in your budget

You can purchase ldquopeace of mindrdquo by

building a savings cushion

Make contributions into your ldquoreal worldrdquo

savings account a mandatory part of your

monthly budget

53

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 54: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 7

Put the power of compound interest to work

for you

54

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 55: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

COMPOUNDING INTEREST ~ ITrsquoS A

MIRACLE

Save and invest

regularly There is

a huge payoff

Compound interest

allows you to put

your money to work

and earn more and

more interest on

your interest plus

the principal

amount invested

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

55

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 56: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

THE RULE OF 70 ~ HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO DOUBLE YOUR PRINCIPAL

INVESTMENT

Place funds in a strategic investment

vehicle and let them grow over time

Divide 70 by the expected rate of return (R)

and see how long it takes to double in size The Number of Years It will Take X to Double

= 70R

When the rate of interest (R) = 7 your

investment will double in how many years

10 years (=707)

56

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 57: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in an

investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How long will it take you to generate $4000 in

funds

7 years (7010)

So at the age of 23 you will have $4000

57

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 58: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK RULE OF 70

Save $2000 at the age of 16 and place it in

an investment that promises a 10 percent

return

How much will you have at the age of 30 if you

leave the funds invested at a 10 percent

return $8000 (Recall the funds will double every 7 years)

Age 37 $16000

Age 51 $64000 ($16000 + $16000 + $32000)

58

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 59: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

REMEMBER THE DISCRETIONARY

SPENDING EXAMPLE ABOVE

Rather than spend $2

per day on a drink

assume now that you

spend $375 on a pack of

cigarettes a day or

$1370 a year

You can accumulate

almost $600000 in

retirement benefitsmdash

and this figure is in

dollars with todayrsquos

purchasing power at a 7

percent real rate of

return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

59

$0

$100000

$200000

$300000

$400000

$500000

$600000

36

Exhibit 10 Dont Smoke ~ Get Rich

Amount Invested Value of Investment with Interest

26 46 56 67

Age of Investor

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 60: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

DISCRETIONARY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

WEALTH

Now add taxes and

the cost of a pack of

cigarettes increases to

$475 per pack The

value of your overall

retirement increases

by just over $100000

to approximately

$705000

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

60

Age of

Investor

Annual Amount

Invested at $475

per pack daily

Value of

Investment

with Interest

16-26 $17340 $23958

26-36 $34680 $71086

36-46 $52020 $163795

46-56 $69360 $346167

56-67 $88434 $704921

Source Authorsrsquo calculations

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 61: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

KEY LESSON

The best way to accumulate a million

dollars or more at retirement is to begin

saving early make a few minor sacrifices

and take advantage of compound interest

61

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 62: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 8

Diversify - donrsquot put all of your eggs in one

basket

62

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 63: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND GAIN

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Investments involve risk especially in the

short-run

Manage this risk by building a broad

portfolio based on diversification

Historically long term returns on stocks

have been attractive But diversification is

essential

Hold a large number of unrelated stocks for

a lengthy period of time Put the law of

large numbers to work for you63

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 64: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PURCHASING A HOME

Buying a home you can afford in an

attractive community and keeping it well-

maintained can be a good investment For

many people it is a huge investment and

must be made with care especially in

todayrsquos housing market Enter the housing

market purposefully Have a 20 percent down payment

Avoid teaser rates on mortgages

Build up equity in your home and avoid borrowing

against it

Diversify your overall portfolio of assets of which

your home is only one

64

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 65: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS

The law of large numbers states that while some

of the investments in a diversified portfolio will

do poorly others will do well

The performance of the latter will offset that of

the former and

The rate of return will converge toward the

historic average

65

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 66: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

If Microsoft constitutes a sizeable share of

your current stock holdings the purchase of

which of the following stocks would provide

you with the greatest increase in

diversification and reduction in risk1 Lowersquos Home Improvement

2 Apple Computer

3 Google

4 Oracle

Answer Lowersquos 66

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 67: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

AVOID DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Does your employer offer a company stock-

based retirement program or agree to

match any income used to purchase

company stock if held for a period of time IF your company is well established and has solid

growth potential consider this investment

opportunity

However sell your company shares and

diversify as soon as permitted Failure to do so puts you in double jeopardy hellipYou

are now beholden to your company both for current

employment and retirement income If your company

fails you lose both Diversify

67

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 68: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 9

Indexed equity funds can help you beat the

experts without taking excessive risk

68

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 69: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

THE RANDOM WALK THEORY

No one person group of experts or

company can predict future changes in the

stock market

The random walk theory suggests

Current stock prices reflect the known information

about the company

Unforeseeable events drive changes in stock prices

Since future changes are driven by unforeseen

events no one can persistently ldquopick the winnersrdquo

69

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 70: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

MUTUAL FUNDS

A mutual fund pools the savings of many

individuals and channels them into

alternative investments

There are many types of mutual funds (eg

money market bond and equity funds)

A mutual fund that is indexed to a broad

stock market indicator such as the SampP 500

will earn approximately the average stock

market return for its shareholders

70

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 71: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THE AVERAGE

RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET AND

MUTUAL FUNDS INDEXED TO THEM

Historically the stock market has yielded

an average real rate of return of about 7

percent

That means that the real value the value

adjusted for inflation of your stock holdings

doubles approximately every ten years

Recall the Rule of 70

71

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 72: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

TWO TYPES OF EQUITY FUNDS

Managed equity funds are administered by

professionals seeking to pick and choose

stocks A large research staff is often

involved

Indexed equity funds are invested to reflect

the holdings of broad indexes such as the

Dow Jones Industrials SampP 500 Composite

Stock Price Index the Russell 2000 Index

or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

72

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 73: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

INDEXED EQUITY FUNDS VS MANAGED

FUNDS

Because their holdings simply mirror a broad

index indexed equity funds do not require a

lot of (i) market research or (ii) stock trading

Consequently the administrative costs of

indexed equity funds are lower than those

funds managed by professionals

Thus more of your funds indexed equity

funds are channeled into investments

Historically the average long-term yield of

indexed equity funds has been higher than

that of managed funds 73

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 74: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 10

Invest in stocks for long-run objectives but

as the need for money approaches increase

the proportion of bonds

74

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 75: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

OVER TIME RELATIVELY HIGH AND

STABLE RETURNS

When held over a

lengthy period of time

a diverse holding of

stocks has historically

yielded both a high

and relatively stable

rate of return

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

75

472

298

13895

-408

-167

-11

27

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-yearperiods

5-yearperiods

20-yearperiods

35-yearperiodsS

ampP

500 I

nd

ex -

An

nu

alized

Real

To

tal R

etu

rn

1871-2

008 (

perc

en

t)

Exhibit 11 Stocks Are Less Risky When Held for a Lengthy Period of Time

Source Liqun Liu Andrew J Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang Social Security

and Market Risk National Center for Policy Analysis Working Paper Number

244 (July 2001) The returns are based on the assumption that an individual

invests a fixed amount for each year in the investment period Data are updated

through 2008

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 76: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

AS EXHIBIT 11 SHOWS

The ldquobest returnsrdquo and ldquoworst returnsrdquo on stocks

converge as the length of the investment period

increases

When a thirty-five-year period is considered the

compound annual return for the best thirty-five years

between 1871 and 2009 was 95 percent compared to

27 percent for the worst thirty-five years

Thus the annual real return of stocks during the worst-

case scenario was about the same as the real return for

bonds

This high and relatively stable return when held over a

lengthy time period makes stocks particularly

attractive when saving for long-term for retirement76

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 77: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

STOCKS VERSUS BONDS

Historically the real return from stocks

(about 7) has been higher than for bonds

(about 3)

The stock market is volatile Therefore

holding stocks is risky when you may need

the funds in the near future

Most yields on bonds are set in nominal

terms When funds are needed in five years

or less they will be less risky than stocks

Nonetheless bonds involve risk 77

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 78: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

BONDS TWO MAIN TYPES OF RISKS

Inflation risk Unexpected inflation

erodes the purchasing power of the face

value of the bond and the earned interest Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) help

protect against this risk

Interest rate risk Unexpected increases

in the interest rate reduce the value of

outstanding bonds This risk increases with the length of time to

maturity

78

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 79: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

BOND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Buy bonds that will mature when the funds

are needed If you need access to funds in

five years buy a five-year bond

Transfer funds in a diversified portfolio

gradually from stocks to bonds as you

approach retirement thus reducing your

vulnerability to volatile changes in the

stock market

79

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 80: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

RETIREMENT 101

Taxes matter as evidenced in the example

illustrating how taxes paid on cigarettes can be

saved and used to help build retirement income

if invested wisely

So take advantage of one or more of the

several retirement saving plans that provide

favorable tax treatment

In consultation with a tax professional explore

your options with respect to

401(k) plans or the equivalent 403(b) plans for teachers

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Roth IRAs 80

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 81: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

ALTERNATIVE IRA PLANS

Traditional IRAs Contributions to 401(k) plans 403(b)

plans and other traditional IRAs are deductible from your

taxable income So your take-home income is reduced by

less than the full amount of your IRA contributions You

pay taxes on your accumulated savings eventually but only

when you retire and may be in a lower income-tax bracket

Roth IRAs Payments to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible

at time of contribution So your take-home income is

reduced by the full amount of your IRA contributions

However your withdrawals on retirement are tax free

Thus the value of your investment grows with this tax

advantage when embodied in a Roth IRA

Seek impartial professional advice when choosing these or

other plans Many factors influence which option is best for

you 81

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 82: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 11

Beware of investment schemes promising

high returns with little or no risk

82

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 83: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

THERErsquoS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

LUNCH

Beware of deals

that sound too

good to be true

83

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 84: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM

MAKES YOU VULNERABLE

A potential conflict of interest exists

between the principal investor (you) and

the agent selling investment products

The agent seeks to profit and has more

information about the product than the

principal investor The investor is at a

disadvantage and should be skeptical

84

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 85: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

TIPS FOR AVOIDING INVESTMENT

FRAUD

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Deal only with parties that have a reputation to

protect

Never purchase an investment solicited by

telephone or email

Do not allow yourself to be forced into a quick

decision

Do not allow friendship to influence an

investment decision

If high-pressure marketing is involved grab your

checkbook or debit card and run 85

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

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com

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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

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com

mon

sen

seeco

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SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

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com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 86: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

PRACTICAL ELEMENT OF PERSONAL

FINANCE 12

Teach your children and others how to earn

money and spend it wisely

86

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 87: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FUNDEMENTAL

TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY

Money is earned by providing services

othersrsquo valuehellip

Money spent on one thing means less funds

available for the purchase of other items or

savings and investing

Money both helps us get what we want

AND helps others get what they want

87

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom

Page 88: What everyone should know about wealth and prosperity - … · 2014. 4. 3. · NEEDS VERSUS WANTS Really think about what you need versus what you want. Most of what you “need”

SUCCESS IN GENERAL

Is realized by setting goals budgeting

monthly saving regularly using credit

prudently consuming wisely investing

strategically and working hard to

accomplish all of this

This is important because everyone has to

learn to strategically spend limited income

and that spending more money on one thing

means having less to spend on or save for

something else

This is true for children adults households

businesses governments and nations 88

http

com

mon

sen

seeco

nom

icscom