"your Life, Your Money" - PBS

What is financialliteracy?Financial literacy is theability to understandfinance. It is anunderstanding of spendingplans, credit managementand savings.However, most experts stillbelieve that Americans arenot nearly financially literateenough. A 2008 survey bythe Jump tart Coalition forPersonal Financial Literacyshowed that a majorityof high school seniors inAmerica failed a test onbasic personal finance. Theconsequences of this lackof financial knowledgeare significant. In fact, ourcurrent economic problemsmay be directly attributedto our lack of financialknowledge. If people trulyunderstood mortgages,loans, interest and financing,would they have boughthouses with mortgages theycouldn’t possibly afford?activity: how much do you know about Go through this listand make a check inthe appropriate boxnothinga littlebitsetting a budgetchoosing a bankpaying bills onlinechoosing a creditcardhow compoundinterest workssaving forretirementhealth insuranceany other kind ofinsurancedifferent kinds ofexpensesstudent loansenoughto getbyi’m afinancialgeniusHip-HopSummitActionNetworkPBS “Your Life, Your Money”:www.pbs.org/yourlifeyourmoneyYoung Money:Russell Simmonswww.youngmoney.comhas been calledHip-Hop Summit Action Network:the Godfatherwww.hsan.orgof hip-hop; he isRushCard: www.rushcard.comthe co-founder ofBankrate: www.bankrate.comDef Jam records,Jump tart Coalition forcreator of thePersonal Financial Literacy:clothing line,www.jumpstart.orgPhat Farm, andHSBC Bank:founder of ion for Public Broadcasting:one of the mostwww.cpb.orgsuccessful AfricanInstitutefor Financial Literacy:American-ownedwww.financiallit.orgmedia businessThe Economy Project:in the country.www.cpb.org/economicresponseHe is the thirdrichest hip-hopentertainer, withnot necessarily handedan estimated net-worth ofdown from generation to 325 million.generation.”But Russell Simmonsisn’t your typical multimillionaire. He is determinedto give back to society. Likethe man who teaches avillage to fish, Simmons’fight against poverty andsocial injustice involvesproviding young peoplewith the skills they needto manage their ownmoney and make their owneducated decisions.In 2001, Russell Simmonsco-founded the Hip-HopSummit Action Network(HSAN) which puts on the“Get Your Money Right”seminars on personalfinance.According to Simmons,“Financial literacy is nottaught in schools, and it’s1980’s recessionCause: Iranian revolution,sharp increase in oil prices,high interest rates1970’s oil crisisCause: oil crisis,stagflation, Vietnamfinancial literacy resourcesWith the backing of Visa,Simmons released theRushCard and BabyPhatRushCard; re-loadable Visadebit cards for people whohave problems getting acredit card account. Thesecards enable their users tobuild up their credit withoutgoing into debt. Simmonssays, “I made some badchoices early on, but, Iwas a little conservative, Iwas lucky enough that myparents taught me somethings. You learn aboutmanaging your life, youknow, kind of a trial anderror.”www.pbs.org/yourlifeyourmoneyIn the past decade, financialliteracy has become moreimportant. The U.S. Treasuryestablished its Office ofFinancial Education in2002; and the U.S. Congressestablished the FinancialLiteracy and EducationCommission in 2003. In2006, the Commissionpublished its NationalStrategy on FinancialLiteracy. And on January 22,2008, President George W.Bush signed an executiveorder creating, for the firsttime, a President’s AdvisoryCouncil on Financial Literacyto improve financial literacyamong all Americans.The HSAN brings togetherstars of the hip-hop world,music industry executivesand financial experts tocontinued on page 13early 2000’s recessionCause: dot com crash,September 11 attacks1990’s recessionCause: Long-term effects of BlackMonday (October 1987), savings &loans crisis, beginning of Gulf War,spike in oil pricesLate 2000’s recessionCause: collapse of housing market,tightened credit, banks & financialinstitutions collapse7

make yourmoney“your life, your money” on pbswork for youMin LwinBudgets and banksBy Emily Torresmin Lwin is an engineer living in Chicago. He’s livingon his own for the first time and trying to manage hismoney. Min says, “The first thing I did when I got myoffer letter from work, I made an Excel spreadsheet and I said,financial planthe bottomline is relatively‘Okay, this is the amount of money I’m getting. And these are thesimple: don’tlike ten thousand dollars. And to reach that goal, then I’d havethan whatexpenses that I’m going to anticipate.’ I decided I wanted to savespend moreto try to keep my weekly expenditures to a certain amount. Butyou make.the problem is, it’s really hard to anticipate expenses. It’s not likeyou’re spending the same amount every week.”8With any”

What is a budget?A budget is an itemized inventory of income and expensesin a given period. A budget includes: all sources of monthly income all required, fixed expenses (rent/mortgage, utilities,phone, etc.) any other possible and/or variable expensesYou can prepare a budget using a spreadsheet, financialsoftware, or with pencil and paper.Setting a Budget no or low minimum balance atMs near work or home Pay attention to fees compare interest rates on savings accounts online account accessto Prosper says, “Anytime you go shopping you should askyourself, is this a need or a want?”A budget makes it easier to keep track of your bills and paythem on time. It will also help you to set financial goals andactually reach them.When you are first starting out in life, it’s hard to always bepractical. It is way too easy to buy things on impulse. Youwww.pbs.org/yourlifeyourmoneyThe first step to creating a budget is listing your fixedexpenses and your variable expenses. Fixed expenses areexpenses that don’t change, such as rent, car payments,or insurance premiums. Variable expenses are expensesthat change according to how much you use them.Examples of variable expenses are food, clothes, creditcard payments, and entertainment. It is also a good idea todivide your list into wants and needs. Wants could consistof entertainment, trendy clothing, and cable TV. Needs arerent, food, gas, electricity and possibly your phone bill.what to look for in a bankBefore you make your budget, you need to know how muchyou are spending in each category—you should not guessor estimate your expenses. To get an accurate picture ofEvery penny ought to havea purpose.your spending you should keep a money diary. Write downevery thing you spend. You may be surprised to discoverhow much you are paying on little things like coffee andbottled water. Once you know how much you are trulyspending, you can easily see where you can cut back, andfrom there you can go on to create an accurate spendingplan.It’s important to realize the difference between wantsand needs. Michelle Singletary, the author of The Powersetting a budget separate needs from wants create a spending planMichelle Singletarydon’t have to nickel and dime every part of your life, buttaking a minute to check yourself when buying anything isgood practice. Take the advice of Michelle Singletary, “Everypenny ought to have a purpose.”It is important to build a contingency plan, or emergencyfund, into your budget. If you lose your job, you’re going tohave a hard time making ends meet without a paycheck.A typical emergency fund should cover your expenses forthree months.With any financial plan the bottom line is relatively simple:don’t spend more than you make. How can you be sure thatyou’re not making this mistake if you don’t keep track ofwhat’s coming in and what’s going out?It takes dedication and it does take time, but keeping trackof your money can bring you rewards that will last long intoyour life.9

activity: make a budget1. For one month write downeverything you spend money on,don’t leave anything out.2. Separate your expenditures intocategories (rent, bills, clothes, food,entertainment, etc).3. Separate your categories into needsand wants. Needs are things likerent and bills. Food may fall underthe need category while dining outwith friends may fall under the wantcategory.4. Add up everything you are spendingfor the month (both needs andwants).“your life, your money” on pbs5. Subtract that number from theamount of money you bring homeeach month (your net income).6. If you have a negative number, youare spending more than you aremaking. If your number is positive,you are living within your means.7. Go through your want categoriesand see where you can cut back.8. Make a new spending plan. Decidehow much you will spend in eachcategory. Hopefully you will havesome money left over so you canstart saving!Choosing a bankWith your first job comes your firstpaycheck. You will need a bankaccount to cash your check or depositit. When searching for a bank, thinkabout what you want and need froma bank. Are you going to bank online?Do you need a bank with ATMs and/ora main office close to your house? Doyou want free checking? Make a listof everything you want and need in abank. Next, add these items: no or lowminimum balance, interest rates, anda list of fees.When Min was looking for a bankhe “was looking at interest ratesand maybe any kind of benefits orbonuses.”Some online banks may have betterinterest rates, but you won’t be ableto go into an office. You need toWhen you are just starting out it isimportant that you choose a bankaccount with no, or a low, minimumbalance. You don’t want to get hitI decided I wanted to save like tenthousand dollars. And to reach that goal,then I’d have to try to keep my weeklyexpenditures to a certain amount. But theproblem is, it’s really hard to anticipateexpenses. It’s not like you’re spending thesame amount every week.decide what matters to you. Mosttraditional banks also have onlinebanking. You can do most of yourbanking online: pay bills, transfermoney, and check your statements.No matter what type of bank youdecide to use, it’s a good idea to payyour bills online. Paper statementscan be easily stolen, and with themyour identity.You may want a checking accountthat comes with a debit card. A debitcard is like a credit card, except thatthe money automatically comes outof your checking account. When facedwith the “debit or credit” question youMin Lwin shoppingbudgetguidelines 30% onhousingcosts 20% of yourmonthlytake-homepay on debtpayments10should answer “credit.” The moneycomes from the same place, but yourPIN number cannot be accessed byidentity thieves. Also, your friendlyshop clerk is charging you an extra 50cents each time you say “debit.” Thosesmall charges really add up. 10% onsavingswith high fees if you go under theminimum.You may also want to consider a creditunion. A credit union differs from abank because credit unions are ownedby the members who have accountswith the credit union. In other words,a credit union is owned by you.Credit unions may have lower feesand better loan rates. Many creditunions are smaller than banks, butthey often offer the same financialservices; including savings accounts,checking accounts, credit cards, debitcards, online banking, and certificatesof deposit. Credit Unions are insuredby The National Credit UnionAdministration (NCUA), the federalagency that administers the NationalCredit Union Share Insurance Fund(NCUSIF). The NCUSIF, like the FDIC’sDeposit Insurance Fund, is a federalinsurance fund backed by the U.S.government. As long as you choose abank or credit union that is either FDICor NCUSIF insured, your money shouldbe safe if anything happens.Emily Torres is a San Francisco-based writer;she has written for Salon.com, YoungMoney.com and many other publications.

DiggingBy Matthew BrandeburgOut Of DebtCredit cards & student loansCredit cardsOur first experience withdebt is usually throughcredit cards. They’re easy,convenient and spend justlike cash. But as FloridaState University studentAmanda McCormick foundout, credit cards can alsobe dangerous. Amandaused her new credit card topay for college necessitieslike food and books, butshe quickly found herselfin serious debt. Sheremembers the day shereceived her card, “Theysent it to me in the mail. IForbearance:temporarily stopsloan paymentsbecause of financialhardshipsAmanda McCormickDebt is a four-letter word we all have to face. Any time we spend morethan we make, we’re probably making up the difference by gainingsome debt. It’s a common problem, yet it’s something many of usknow very little about. For example, did you know that having some debtcan actually be a good thing? Did you know that the way you manage debtaffects your credit score? Do you know what your credit score is? Theseare just a few of the questions you should know the answers to, but moreimportantly, they’re questions you should be asking yourself.www.pbs.org/yourlifeyourmoneyDeferment: timeperiod in whichpayments are notrequiredactivated it in 45-seconds,spent money on it twentyminutes later.” Over thenext six months, betweenfive cards, she spent lessthan 4,000, but aftercompiling interest, late feesand penalties, she foundherself over 30,000 indebt. Amanda’s story is notuncommon. In fact, 66%of college students have acredit card and the averagegraduating student hascredit card debt of 2,623.Amanda could have avoideda considerable amount ofdebt if she had selected acredit card that was a littlemore “user friendly.” As11

“your life, your money” on pbsBeth Kobliner, authorof Get a Financial Life,points out, “When you’recomparing credit cardoffers, you want to getthe lowest interest ratepossible, and you don’twant to pay annualfees.” Also, make sureyou read the fine printto understand how yourinterest rate can changeand what your APR is.APR stands for annualpercentage rate, and itshows your monthly feesand rates in annual terms.Make sure when you’recomparing credit cardsyou’re always comparingthe APRs.12activity: manage your debt (example)name of debtvisaunpaidbalanceinterestrateorder topay off 18,00011.99%2it will take for someone tobecome debt free.Student loansRemember, not all debt isbad. Take student loans 8,00014.99%1american expressfor example, they allow 3,0001.99%5you to get an educationbest buyand increase your earnings 6,0007.99%3car loanpotential. With so manydifferent types of student 25,0006.80%4student loanloans available, this type 60,000totalof debt can be confusing.To simplify student loansyou should first learnactivity: manage your debtthe two basic types ofname of debtunpaidinterestorder toloans: subsidized andbalanceratepay offunsubsidized. As FinancialAdvisor Peter Bielagusexplains, “Subsidizedstudent loans arethose loans where theThe two most importantgovernment is paying therules to using credit cardsinterest while you are inresponsibly are to alwaysschool.” These types ofpay your balance on timeloans are more attractiveand to watch how muchthan unsubsidized loans,you spend. These maywhere the interestseem like easy concepts,In order to manage your debt effectively, you first need to getcontinues to accrue evenbut an MIT study showedorganized. Try this activity, which will help you calculate your totalwhile you’re still in school.that when credit cardsdebt and form a plan to pay it off efficiently. Fill out the table abovePeter explains that havingare used, consumers tendand rank your interest rates from highest to lowest. This becomesan unsubsidized loanthe order that you should pay off your debt.to spend anywhere fromcould mean that a 10,00030% to 100% more than ifloan taken out during yourthey used cash! The key tofound herself 30,000 in debt andfreshman year could grow to 14,000smart spending is to resist temptationwithout any foreseeable way ofby graduation day. Because so muchand make sure you only buy what youpaying it off. She met with consumermoney is at stake, it’s important tohave enough cash to pay for whencredit counselor Duana Palmer whoknow what your monthly paymentyour bill comes.was able to help Amanda work withwill be on your student loans whenher creditors to reduce her interestyou graduate. According to Peter,If you find yourself in credit cardrates and consolidate her bills intothis is crucial because when you’redebt, take a deep breath. Fortunately,one monthly payment. By followingapplying for your first job, you need tothere’s plenty of help available.Duana’s plan, Amanda was able toknow if the salary you’re being offeredIf you’re in debt, try contacting astart chipping away at her debt so itis enough to cover the loans you’veconsumer credit counselor who willwon’t follow her through her life. Eventaken out.help you explore your options andpaying as little as 10 more than theform a payment plan. That’s whatminimum monthly payment couldCredit scoreAmanda McCormick did when shesignificantly reduce the length of timeBetween student loans and creditAmanda McCormick at workcards, many young people findthemselves in significant debt as theyenter the “real world.” This debt willimpact the rest of their lives becauseit’s reflected on something verywhat toimportant—your credit score. Yourlook for incredit score contains the history ofa credit cardevery credit relationship you have,including credit cards, student loans, Low interest ratescar loans, home loans, etc. The goal no annual feesis for your credit score to be as highas possible, and as you pay your bills no hidden penaltieson time, your score improves. If youor chargesmiss a payment or max out your credit

Making it and Keeping ItContinuedPeter BielagusMaybe tomorrow, youand I both go to buy theexact same car on theexact same day. Becauseof my terrible creditscore, I will pay 7,000more dollars in interestto buy that car than youwill, simply because ofthis one number.When we first startedthe Hip-Hop Summit,we found out we hadunderestimated thereadiness, the thirst andhunger of young peoplefor this material.Dr. Benjamin Chavis, the President and CEO of the HipHop Summit Action Network, and a 40-year veteranof the Civil Rights Movement, says, “When we firststarted the Hip-Hop Summit, we found out we hadunderestimated the readiness, the thirst and hunger ofyoung people for this material.”“You know, no matter how rich you are, you need to beable to afford your lifestyle,” says Simmons. “The summithas given many people their first steps. They come outempowered, connected, feeling like they can get theirfinancial situation in order, get their house right, or theirmoney right.”www.pbs.org/yourlifeyourmoneycards, your score suffers. Banks and lenders use yourscore to determine your level of credit risk. A high creditscore means you are a low risk and you will subsequentlybe charged lower interest rates on your loans. As PeterBielagus explains, “Maybe tomorrow, you and I bothgo to buy the exact same car on the exact same day.Because of my terrible credit score, I will pay 7,000 moredollars in interest to buy that car than you will, simplybecause of this one number.” Because your credit scoreis so important, you need to check it regularly. In fact,you’re entitled to receive a free copy of your credit reporteach year; you can get this at www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also visit the three reporting bureaus:TransUnion, Equifax and Experian.help young people learn that managing their money isan essential life skill. According to the HSAN website,“The HSAN uses the cultural relevance of hip-hop musicto serve as a catalyst for education advocacy and othersocietal concerns fundamental to the empowerment ofyouth.” In addition, they foster the “belief that hip-hop isan enormously influential agent for soc

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