Exam 20: A: Understanding Personal Finances and Investments
Experts recommend that in order to survive an economic crisis, you must put your financial affairs in order before the crisis. What steps should you take to survive an economic crisis?
1. Create a budget: Start by creating a detailed budget that outlines your income and expenses. This will help you understand where your money is going and identify areas where you can cut back.
2. Build an emergency fund: Set aside a portion of your income each month to build up an emergency fund. Aim to have at least three to six months' worth of living expenses saved up in case of a financial emergency.
3. Pay off debt: Focus on paying off high-interest debt, such as credit card balances, as quickly as possible. This will free up more of your income to use for essential expenses during an economic crisis.
4. Diversify your income: Look for ways to diversify your sources of income, such as taking on a side job or starting a small business. Having multiple streams of income can provide a safety net during tough economic times.
5. Cut unnecessary expenses: Review your budget and identify any non-essential expenses that you can cut back on or eliminate entirely. This could include dining out less, canceling subscription services, or finding more affordable alternatives for everyday expenses.
6. Stay informed: Keep up to date with economic news and trends so that you can make informed decisions about your financial situation. This will help you anticipate and prepare for potential economic challenges.
By taking these steps to put your financial affairs in order before an economic crisis, you can increase your chances of surviving and even thriving during tough economic times.
What is the role of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in protecting investors in the stock market?
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) plays a critical role in protecting investors in the stock market by enforcing laws and regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and integrity in the securities markets. The SEC's mission is to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation. Here are some of the key ways in which the SEC protects investors:
1. **Regulation and Oversight**: The SEC oversees securities exchanges, securities brokers and dealers, investment advisors, and mutual funds, ensuring that they operate in a manner that is fair to all investors.
2. **Disclosure Requirements**: The SEC requires public companies to disclose meaningful financial and other information to the public. This provides a common pool of knowledge for all investors to use to judge for themselves whether to buy, sell, or hold a particular security.
3. **Enforcement**: The SEC vigorously enforces the federal securities laws and pursues individuals and companies who engage in insider trading, accounting fraud, and providing false or misleading information about securities and the companies that issue them.
4. **Investor Education**: The SEC provides investors with access to a wealth of educational materials and tools that help them make informed investment decisions and better understand the markets.
5. **Market Surveillance**: The SEC monitors trading activity and looks for signs of market manipulation and other potential violations of the securities laws.
6. **Rulemaking**: The SEC engages in a robust rulemaking process that is designed to address emerging issues in the markets and to implement legislative mandates. These rules are developed with public input to ensure they effectively protect investors while promoting capital formation.
7. **Examination and Compliance**: The SEC conducts examinations of regulated entities to ensure compliance with the law and to detect problems and correct poor practices before they become more serious.
8. **Investor Advocacy**: The SEC has an Office of Investor Advocate which helps to ensure that investor concerns are heard at the Commission and are considered in SEC decision-making.
By fulfilling these roles, the SEC helps to build investor confidence in the fairness and integrity of the U.S. stock market, which is essential for the health of the economy and the growth of businesses.
Kaitlyn purchases a $1,000 corporate bond with a fixed interest rate of 5 percent for $900. What is the most likely explanation for this apparent bargain?
A
What would cause a corporate bond with a $1,000 face value and a fixed interest rate of 7 percent to increase in value?
Barry Ferrell has monthly income of $2,500. His monthly expenses are $2,000. Based on this information, Barry should establish an emergency fund of at least
Haverting, Inc., is a fast-growing biotech company. What is Haverting likely to do with any profits it generates?
Frank Bart bought 100 shares of Home Depot for $46 a share. Later, he sold his 100 shares for $56 a share. Frank's profit is referred to as
What can you learn about your finances from constructing a personal balance sheet? What can you learn from a personal income statement?
The board of directors of Dean Foods declares that owners of its stock will now have three times as many shares. This is called a
Dillon owns a $1,000 corporate bond. He receives semiannual payments of $35 for his bond. What is the bond's stated interest rate?
The act that created the Securities and Exchange Commission was the
Personal Accents, Inc. (PAI)
Personal Accents, Inc., (PAI) is a publicly-held company that specializes in selling a variety of skin- and hair-care products. The company owns specialty stores that appeal to both men and women. Recently PAI has obtained financing through the sale of bonds which have been rated as AAA by Standard & Poor's.
Charlotte is an investor who pays very close attention to high-risk investments because she she's interested in the huge profits that can be obtained from this type of investment. Charlotte usually prefers moderately risky investments so that she can obtain a profit; but in case something goes sour, she will not lose everything. Fearing the potential loss of money in high-risk investments, she has invested in PAI. She feels that the company is established and has maintained stable profits over the years. She is well aware of the different types of high-risk investments, but she chooses to invest more conservatively.
-Refer to Personal Accents, Inc. Charlotte recently chose an account executive for her investment and financial needs. Which of the following best describes an account executive?
Jan Murphy would like some help choosing an investment that will grow over the next ten years. Which of the following investments would you recommend for growth?
Which of the following is not considered a high-risk investment?
The division of each outstanding share of a corporation's stock into a greater number of shares is called
Which of the following is true about the differences between no-load mutual funds and load mutual funds?
A detailed written description of a new security, the issuing corporation, and the corporation's top management is called a(n)
Anthony believes that the price of Dow Chemical stock is going to fall in the near future. What type of high-risk transaction would he most likely consider concerning Dow stock?
Debby Martin has assets valued at $120,000 and liabilities that total $50,000. Based on this information, what is Debby's net worth?
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