YORK UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF LIBERAL ARTS & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
SCHOOL OF ADMINISTRATIVE STUDIES
SUMMER 2014
COURSE:
ADMS 3541 Personal Financial Planning
DATE & TIME: Thursdays, 7-10 pm
LOCATION: HNE 031
INSTRUCTOR: Alan Goldhar
E-MAIL: agoldhar@yorku.ca
TEXT BOOK: Personal Financial Planning, Ho & Robinson, Fifth Edition, Captus
Press, 2012.
In-Class Handouts will also be provided (business news articles, additional practice
questions, etc.).
Students will be provided with an on-line copy of the CGA Tax Planning Book as
reference material for the tax planning sessions.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is a general introduction to personal financial planning. Class lectures and
discussions will be built around the following key topics:
1. Financial planning objectives and the Family Life Cycle.
2. Mathematics of personal finance.
3. Preparing and Managing Cash Flows.
4. Controlling credit and debt.
5. Investments Planning.
6. Tax Planning.
7. Risk (Insurance) Management.
8. Retirement Planning.
9. Estate Planning.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. To understand the profession of financial planning.
2. To learn to apply core technical material to real live financial planning scenarios.
3. To understand the components of the financial planning process.
4. To analyze a client’s financial needs and situation, and prepare an appropriate
financial plan.
*Classes are interactive and students are expected to come to class prepared
(assigned chapters read and assigned problems attempted) and ready to participate.
GRADING:
Mid-term Exam: 20%
Group Assignments (2): 20%
Quizzes (Best 2 out of 3): 10%
Final Exam: 50%
GROUP ASSIGNMENTS
Students are expected to work on the assignments in groups of 3-5. Once assigned to a
group students are expected to remain with that particular group for both term
assignments. Assignments will require preparation work outside the classroom.
Assignments must be submitted on the due dates at the beginning of the class.
Only one assignment will be accepted for each group.
Faxed, e-mailed or late assignments will not be accepted unless accompanied by a valid
medical note. Each student is responsible to the group and only one grade will be
assigned to each paper submitted.
Each student must ensure that their name is included on the front of each
assignment.
ASSIGNMENTS (2):
Assignments should comply with the following requirements:
a. Typed on 8 ½” x 11” white paper.
b. Stapled in the upper left-hand corner.
c. Include each students full name, student number, course name and number and
submission date.
d. Grammar and spelling will be taken into consideration.
QUIZZES:
Quizzes will be used to assess the student’s preparation and understanding of the
assigned material. Quizzes are generally given at the beginning of the applicable class.
MID-TERM EXAM:
The mid-term exam will be given on the date indicated in the detailed course outline
below.
There will not be a make-up exam for the mid-term. Students who miss the mid-term
exam for legitimate medical or religious reasons will have the final exam count for 70%
of their total mark for this course.
FINAL EXAM:
The final exam is comprehensive and the date and location are set by the Registrar’s
office.
DEFERRED EXAM POLICY
Deferred standing may be granted to students who are unable to write their final
examination at the scheduled time or to submit their outstanding course work on the last
day of classes. In order to apply for deferred standing, students must complete a Deferred
Standing Agreement (DSA) form and submit their request no later than five (5) business
days from the date of the exam. The request must be properly submitted with supporting
documentation directly to the main office of the School of Administrative Studies (282
Atkinson), NOT to the Course Director.
These requests will be considered on their merit and decisions will be made on a case per
case basis. Students can check the status of their request by contacting SAS main office.
Students with approved DSA will be able to write their deferred examination during the
School's deferred examination period. No further extensions of deferred exams shall be
granted. The format and covered content of the deferred examination may be different
from that of the originally scheduled examination. The deferred exam may be closed book,
cumulative and comprehensive and may include all subjects/topics of the textbook
whether they have been covered in class or not. Any request for deferred standing on
medical grounds must include an Attending Physician's Statement form; a “Doctor’s Note”
will not be accepted.
DSA Form: http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/pdf/deferred_standing_agreement.pdf
Attending Physician's Statement form:
http://www.yorku.ca/laps/council/students/documents/APS.pdf
The deferred examinations for the Summer 2013 term shall be held in the last week in
September, 2013.
COURSE SCHEDULE-SUMMER 2014
DATE
TOPICS
May 8th
Introduction to
Financial Planning
Introduction to the
course.
Course Outline.
York U. SAS Finance
Stream.
Introduction to the
financial planning
profession.
Topic areas in
financial planning.
The Financial
Planning Process.
May 15th
May 22nd
May 29th
ASSIGNED
READINGS
ASSIGNED
HOMEWORK
Students to
purchase course
textbook.
More on the financial
planning profession.
Introduction to
financial planning
standards.
Setting Goals and the
Financial Planning
Process.
Chapter #1
Chapter #3, &
Chapter #6
Time Value of
Money
Chapter #2
Ch.#2, All Multiple
Choice (MC),
Problem #1, 4 & 5.
Key Documents in
Financial Planning
Personal Financial
Statements.
Chapter #4
Ch.4-MC
Ch.#12-Problem #6
Credit & Debt
Management
Chapter #12 (pages
276-290)
Family Law
Chapter #5
Chapters #7 & #8
Introduction To Tax
Planning
CGA Tax Planning
Guide (Handout/On
line)
Ch.#3, All Multiple
Choice Questions
Problem #2 (Pg.64)
QUIZ #1
Group Assignment
#1 Handed out.
DATE
TOPICS
June 5th
Tax Planning
Personal Taxes
Tax Planning
June 12th
Risk Management
Risk Management
Concepts.
Life, Health &
Disability
Mid-term Exam
Review
ASSIGNED
READINGS
CGA Tax Planning
Guide
(Handout/On-line).
Chapter #17 (pg.
465-472)
Chapter #18
(Pg.519-524)
QUIZ #2
Chapter #9
Chapter #10
MID-TERM EXAM
Covers all of the
above chapters and
material.
June 19th
Investment
Planning, PART 1
Principles of
Investments.
Ch. #14
June 26th
Ch.9-Multiple Choice
Ch.10-Multiplt Choice
Group Assignment
#1 Due.
June 14th
Take up
Assignment #1
Take up MidTerm Exam
ASSIGNED
HOMEWORK
Ch. #15
Group Assignment
#2 Handed out.
Ch. #16
QUIZ #3
Chapter #17 & 18
(Pg. #492-502).
Group Assignment
#2 Due.
Investment
Planning, PART 2
Stocks and Bonds
July 3rd
Investment
Planning, PART 3
Mutual Funds
July 10th
Retirement
Planning, PART 1
DATE
TOPICS
ASSIGNED
READINGS
ASSIGNED
HOMEWORK
July 17th
.
Take Up
Assignment #2.
Retirement
Planning, PART 2
July 24th
Estate Planning
Chapter #18 (Pg.
#527-552)
July 31st
Final Exam
Review Week
August 5th to
August 18th
Final Exam
covers all of the
material in this
course outline
plus class
handouts and
posted materials.
COMPREHENSIVE
FINAL EXAM.
IMPORTANT YORK POLICIES:
Academic Honesty
Atkinson as a Faculty considers breaches of the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty to
be serious matters. To quote the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty:
The Policy on Academic Honesty is an affirmation and clarification for members of the
University of the general obligation to maintain the highest standards of academic
honesty. As a clear sense of academic honesty and responsibility is fundamental to good
scholarship, the policy recognizes the general responsibility of all faculty members to
foster acceptable standards of academic conduct and of the student to be mindful of and
abide by such standards.
Suspected breaches of academic honesty will be investigated and charges shall be laid
if reasonable and probable grounds exist.
Students should review the York Academic Honesty policy for themselves at:
http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/legislation/senate/acadhone.htm
Students might also wish to review the interactive on-line Tutorial for students on
academic integrity, at: http://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/
Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy
The grading scheme (i.e. kinds and weights of assignments, essays, exams, etc.) shall
be announced, and be available in writing, within the first two weeks of class, and, under
normal circumstances, graded feedback worth at least 15% of the final grade for Fall,
Winter or Summer Term, and 30% for ‘full year’ courses offered in the Fall/Winter Term
be received by students in all courses prior to the final withdrawal date from a course
without receiving a grade, with the following exceptions:





graduate or upper level undergraduate courses where course work typically, or
at the instructor's discretion, consists of a single piece of work and/or is based
predominantly (or solely) on student presentations ( e.g. honours theses or
graduate research papers not due by the drop date, etc.);
practicum courses;
ungraded courses;
courses in Faculties where the drop date occurs within the first 3 weeks of
classes;
courses which run on a compressed schedule (a course which accomplishes its
academic credits of work at a rate of more than one credit hour per two calendar
weeks ).
Note: Under unusual and/or unforeseeable circumstances which disrupt the academic
norm, instructors are expected to provide grading schemes and academic feedback in
the spirit of these regulations, as soon as possible.
For more information on the Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy, please visit:
http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/legislation/senate/gradfeed.htm
In-Class Tests and Exams - the 20% Rule
For all Undergraduate courses, except those which regularly meet on Friday evening or
on a weekend, tests or exams worth more than 20% will not be held in the two weeks
prior to the beginning of the official examination period. For further information on the
20% Rule, please visit:
http://calendars.registrar.yorku.ca/examschedules/examinfo/twentypercent.htm.
For further information on examination scheduling, and Atkinson examination exceptions
to this rule, please refer to the "Notes" in the table:
http://www.yorku.ca/roweb/importantdates/
Reappraisals
Students may, with sufficient academic grounds, request that a final grade in a course be
reappraised (which may mean the review of specific pieces of tangible work). Nonacademic grounds are not relevant for grade reappraisals; in such cases, students are
advised to petition to their home Faculty. Students are normally expected to first contact
the course director to discuss the grade received and to request that their tangible work
be reviewed. Tangible work may include written, graphic, digitized, modelled, video
recording or audio recording formats, but not oral work.
Students need to be aware that a request for a grade reappraisal may result in the
original grade being raised, lowered or confirmed.
For reappraisal procedures and information, please visit the Office of the Registrar site
at: http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/services/policies/grade.htm
Accommodation Procedures:
Atkinson students who have experienced a misfortune or who are too ill
to attend an examination in an Atkinson course should not attempt to do
so; they must pursue deferred standing. Other students should contact
their home Faculty for information. For further information, please visit:
http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/services/ds_faq.htm
Religious Accommodation
York University is committed to respecting the religious beliefs and
practices of all members of the community, and making
accommodations for observances of special significance to adherents.
For more information on religious accommodation, please visit:
https://w2prod.sis.yorku.ca/Apps/WebObjects/cdm.woa/wa/regobs
Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities ( Senate
Policy )
The nature and extent of accommodations shall be consistent with and
supportive of the integrity of the curriculum and of the academic
standards of programs or courses.
Provided that students have given sufficient notice about their
accommodation needs, instructors shall take reasonable steps to
accommodate these needs in a manner consistent with the guidelines
established hereunder. For more information please visit the Disabilities
Services website at http://www.yorku.ca/dshub/
Alternate Exams and Tests
York’s disabilities offices and the Registrar’s Office work in partnership
to support alternate exam and test accommodation services for students
with disabilities at the Keele campus. For more information on alternate
exams and tests please visit http://www.yorku.ca/altexams/
Please alert the Course Director as soon as possible should you require
special accommodations. For questions relating to academic
accommodations, please contact the Atkinson Counselling and
Supervision Centre: http://www.yorku.ca/atkcsc