Banking and Finance
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Course Description

 

Core Standards of the Course

Standard 1
Students will understand the role of financial services in the economy.

Objective 1
Understand legislative and regulatory changes affecting financial services and products.

Objective 2
Describe the various financial products and services available. (Deposit accounts, investments, insurance)

Objective 3
Identify the various interest rates, their relationships, and their impact on the economy, including the prime, discount, and the federal funds rate.

Objective 4
Define inflation, deflation, recession, and economic cycles and their impact on the economy.

Objective 5
Describe how a financial institution makes money; the role of savers and borrowers; and how the money supply impacts global economies.

Objective 6
Describe common deposit accounts offered by financial institutions (savings, CDs, checking, money market).

Standard 2
Students will understand terminology within the financial services industry and the available career opportunities.

Objective 1
Identify the differences between banks, credit unions, and other financial services institutions.

Objective 2
Explain the importance of insured deposits; who insures the deposits; and the limits of those insured deposits.

Objective 3
Define the purpose of the Federal Reserve as a central bank

Objective 4
Identify career opportunities in the financial services industry.

Standard 3
Students will understand credit and lending functions and products within the financial services industry.

Objective 1
Distinguish between open and revolving loans vs. closed and installment loans.

Objective 2
Understand what a mortgage is; types of mortgages, mortgage fees, and how to compare mortgages.

Objective 3
Describe the process of obtaining a loan.

Objective 4
Describe the requirements of lending institutions for credit approval, i.e., Character, Capacity, Collateral, Capital, Conditions.

Objective 5
Identify ways to establish and maintain a good credit rating; the role of credit bureaus; the debt-to-income ratio.

Objective 6
Describe laws and regulations that relate to lending.

Standard 4
Students will understand basic financial concepts.

Objective 1
Explain the concept of compound interest and simple interest and the importance of time in accumulating wealth. (APR & APY should be included in discussion)

Objective 2
Explain amortization and how interest rates affect the costs of loans.

Objective 3
Explain the risk/reward rule and identify potential exceptions and consequences as a result of understanding the rule.

Objective 4
Discuss the time value of money and the Rule of 72.

Objective 5
Understand tax implications of different financial products and services.

Standard 5
Students will understand the structure of the Securities Markets.

Objective 1
Identify the various securities products and offerings.

Objective 2
Explain the role of FINRA and SEC in regulating securities activities, insider trading, and securities fraud.

Objective 3
Identify the various securities exchanges and the differences between them including: New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), American Stock Exchange (AMEX), National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation system (NASDAQ), and Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), over-the-counter (OTC) and penny stocks, and regional exchanges.

Objective 4
Identify international securities exchanges and the international foreign exchange market.

Objective 5
Explain the importance and role of various tracking devices and indexes in the securities market.

Objective 6
Describe the process of executing a stock transaction and tracking your portfolio.

Objective 7
Identify the difference between a bull and a bear market.

Standard 6
Students will understand the process of valuing and selecting stocks and bonds.

Objective 1
Discuss various measurements of valuing a public company including: price earnings (PE) ratio, dividends, earnings per share (EPS), etc.

Objective 2
Identify the differences between common and preferred stocks.

Objective 3
Define margin and short selling and explain the effect it has upon investors.

Objective 4
Explain why stock prices change (supply, demand, stock splits, and current events).

Objective 5
Explain how to read and understand a stock quote.

Objective 6
Explain the concept of Dollar-Cost-Averaging and its use to minimize risk.

Objective 7
Describe the characteristics of Corporate Bonds, Convertible Bonds, Treasury Bills and Bonds, Savings Bonds, and Municipal Bonds.

Objective 8
Explain the reasons a company would issue Stocks (Equity) or Bonds (Debt) to raise needed funds.

Standard 7
Students will understand the process of valuing and selecting mutual funds and/or ETFs.

Objective 1
Describe the net asset value (NAV) as it relates to the daily valuing of a mutual fund.

Objective 2
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of investing via mutual funds and/or EFTs as opposed to investing directly via individual stocks.

Objective 3
Describe the different fees associated with investing and owning mutual funds and/or ETFs.

Objective 4
Explain what is meant by a Family of Funds, and the advantages and disadvantages of investing via one family.

Standard 8
Students will understand the role of insurance in the financial services industry.

Objective 1
Define insurance as it relates to the transfer of risk from one party to another.

Objective 2
Describe the regulatory environment of the insurance industry, and explain the role of the State Insurance Commission.

Objective 3
Identify and describe different types of insurance including, but not limited to, disability, auto, health, product liability, errors and omission, life, credit, homeowners, title, and mortgage.

Objective 4
Define basic terminology including, but not limited to, premium, grace period, riders, endorsements, deductibles, liability, and claim.

Objective 5
Describe the benefits and restrictions of Term life insurance.

Objective 6
Describe the characteristics of Whole Life and Universal Life insurance including face amount, cash value, premium, etc.

 

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Office of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Office of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.

 

For more information about this core curriculum, contact the USOE Specialist, Laura deShazo or visit the CTE/Business Education Home Page. For general questions about Utah's Core Curriculum, contact the USOE Curriculum Director, MARY SHUMWAY . UEN Contact Info: 801-581-2999 | 800-866-5852 | Contact Us