30 Dec Part I: In the Regardless

Unit 1 discussion

Suppose you want to start a business.

1) Share with your classmates the business idea and explain the purpose of the business and the reason you chose this business.

2) Briefly describe what type of organizational form you selected. Explain why you selected that form over alternative forms.

Unit 2 discussion

Part 1: Discuss the ways in which managers can “manage the firm’s earnings.”

Part 2: Explain how earnings management has been viewed negatively and provide an example.

Unit 3 discussion

Part 1:

John Jetison believes he would need $500,000 to retire today and keep his same lifestyle.

If Jetison estimates he will retire in 20 years, how much should he put away each month to have the equivalent of $500,000 in 20 years if the interest he can earn is 5%?

If the interest rate changes to 3%, what will Jetison need to save each month?

Picture cash flows on a timeline and present it when providing your answer.

Part 2:

Think about your own retirement; what would the timeline look like? In what ways could you better prepare for retirement?

Unit 4 discussion

In the Regardless of Your Major feature (on page 192), we note that statisticians analyze data. Moreover, in a statistics class one learns how to describe random outcomes using statistical measures such as expected values and the variance.

How does our knowledge of basic statistics help us evaluate opportunities? Provide an example of an evaluation

Unit 5 discussion

In The Business of Life: Your Cash Budget and Personal Savings Ratio box feature on page 100 of the text, we defined something called your personal savings ratio.

What is this ratio and how can it be used when thinking about gaining control over personal finances?

Unit 6 discussion

Discuss which ratios would be particularly useful and WHY for the following:

Creditors

Managers

Shareholders

Bondholders.

Unit 7 discussion

Go to www.cnbc.com and explore the video tab using the key term capital investment. As you learned in this unit, there are various sources of information.

Part I: Watch at least three videos you find and provide a summary of the type of information that EACH video contained and how it relates to this unit.

Part 2: How does your current or past company you work for, or one that you know of, evaluate capital investments?

Unit 8 discussion

Part I: In the Regardless of Your Major feature box (p. 482), we learned about the dangers of using a high proportion of debt financing faced by both General Motors (GM) and Lehman Brothers. How could the failure of these firms possibly matter to you personally or to any of your family members?

Part 2: How can the lessons you have learned in this course positively affect your career or personal success (now or in the future)?