Assignment: The Financial Planning Process
Jan and Bill Smith need help developing a financial plan, creating a budget, examining their current financial services, and managing their use of credit. They have $5,000 in credit card debt toward which they pay $200 a month, a $400 monthly car payment, and a $1,000 monthly mortgage payment. They have less than $4,000 in savings. Their annual household is $60,000 a year. They are considering buying a second new car since one car is older but paid off. They are also deliberating whether to sell their house and buy another one, but they have not made any decisions yet. They also know they need to reduce their credit card debt, create a plan for saving, and develop an overall financial plan.
Write a five to six 5-6 page paper in which you:
1. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of Jan and Bill's current financial scenario and describe the fundamental steps in the financial planning process that Jan and Bill could take to improve their overall financial outlook.
2. Create measurable financial goals for Jan and Bill Smith. Explain the key steps involved in implementing the goals you have created.
3. Discuss the decisions that Jan and Bill Smith should make concerning their housing and automobiles. Explain the fundamental reasons why they should or should not purchase a new car or home. Explain two factors they must consider in making the decisions before them.
4. Compare two different methods that Jan and Bill could use in order to buy a new car based on your Internet research.
5. Use at least three quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
• Examine the financial process, life cycle of financial plans, and the importance of financial planning.
• Analyze the financial services marketplace and making automobile and housing decisions.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in personal financial planning.