Day 56.5

Learning Objectives

  • Identify the downfalls to making the minimum payments on a credit card bill.
  • Explain why using your credit card, even though you pay off the bill each month, still isn’t advisible.

Assignment CU5.6.1

  1. Zach, a college freshman, recently received his first credit card, which he signed up for during orientation. He promised himself that he would use it only for emergencies. It is now the middle of December and Zach has to stop working for a couple weeks in order to finish some semester projects, study for and take his finals, and then go home for the holiday break. Since he will not get a paycheck again until the next term in January, he had to use his credit card for the following “emergencies”:
    • Gas for the drive back home $55
    • Food (snacks for studying) $45
    • Christmas gifts for family $225
    • Books for next semester’s classes $585
  2. Now, what will happen if Zach only makes the minimum payments on this one credit card?  Assuming he charges nothing else and makes every minimum payment on time (two BIG assumptions), it will take him 154 months to pay for these “emergencies.” 
  3. Make a copy of this Making the Minimum document, rename it to Making the Minimum-(Your Initials), and move it into your Chapter 4 folder.
  4. Complete the assigned task as directed in the assignment.  Use the chart (Minimum Payment Schedule) in the document to answer the questions.

Assignment CU5.6.2

  1. Select and listen to the “A Frank Discussion About Credit Cards” from the Ask Dave radio call.
  2. Create a new Google Document titled LFPP-(Your Initials) and move it into your Lesson 5 folder.  
  3. Write a brief reflection about the call in paragraph form.  Summarize the caller’s situation, including financial information needed to make a decision, followed by the advice that Dave gave the caller.  Also be able to provide answers to the following in your response:
    • What is their opinion about the caller’s situation?
    • What was their initial reaction to the situation?
    • What did they think of Dave’s advice?
    • Does it relate to anything they have learned in class? Answers will vary.