2023-2024 Course Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Overview of consumer and family finances, including budgeting, goal setting, cash management, credit, insurance, taxes, housing, investment alternatives, and retirement plans. Fundamental tools for financial decision making through the coverage of time value of money, calculations for consumer loans, and tools for financial decisions across the lifecycle. Explore ethical issues surrounding financial decisions.
Analysis of the role of effective consumer education strategies in consumer decision-making. Planning, developing, testing, and evaluating consumer education programs using a variety of strategies, including social marketing, for selected community partners and operating the Consumer Education Laboratory.
Introduction to resource management concepts and theories with application to personal and family life goals. Discussion of values, goals, decision making, planning, and communication in relation to the management process. Application of the management process to the use of resources, time, finances, stress, and the environment.
Advanced financial topics for consumers and families. Identification of employee benefit components including health care, incentive plans, insurance, and retirement. Analysis of consumers insurance needs. Discussion and comparison of retirement and investment tools used by consumers, including public and private retirement components. Interpretation of research directions and policy influences related to employee benefits, insurance, investments, and retirement saving. Investigation of special topics in retirement. Pre: Senior Standing.
Examination of legal and operational aspects of debtor-creditor relationship from the perspective of businesses and debtors. Overview of the types of credit, access to credit, factors contributing to debt problems, and alternatives available for resolution. Focus on collection processes of federal and state bankruptcy laws and regulations.
Examination of debt and budgeting problems affecting families. Utilizes a problem-solving approach. Includes financial counseling strategies for coping with financial crises and becoming proactive in family financial management.
Analysis of the effectiveness of consumer protection efforts. Examination of government laws, regulations, and agencies at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as the effectiveness of both business and private consumer protection efforts.
Roles, functions and responsibilites of consumer affairs professionals employed in business, government, and non-profit public/consumer interest organizations. Professional advocacy within employing organizations, managing consumer complaint handling systems and major consumer and career issues are analyzed.
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