1. The Game of Life: My Personal Financial Plan

2. Overview
You will be creating a website outlining your personal financial goals by exploring various career pathways, housing opportunities, car loans, colleges, investments, and more!
The entire project will be due in May.
This project is worth 10% of your final grade.
Each part will have specific deadlines.
You must write in complete sentences.

3. Parts to the Project
Bio Page (Name, class, information about you, and a picture)
Part 1: Finding a Job
Part 2: Paying Taxes
Part 3: Creating a Budget
Part 4: Create a Savings Plan
Part 5: Credit Cards
Part 6: Car Loans
Part 7: Mortgages
Part 8: Reflection

4. Reminder:
In addition to the Bio Page, there are eight parts to the project. You will need to start a new page with a title for each part
You may choose to have a roommate (work with a partner in the class and combine incomes; however, you each need to do your own project)

5. Part 1: Finding a JOB
Complete each step and fill in the chart. After you’ve conducted your research, type your results in your Google Site using complete sentences. Step 1: After taking the interest profiler at jobcenter.usa.gov, choose two careers you are interested. Go to or and answer the questions on the chart. Step 2: Using or another site, find a job for the career you chose. Step 3: Type your results on your site and attach your future resume. Step 4: Extra Credit: Research two colleges ( that offer your program and find how much you would owe on a student loan (

6. Part 2: Paying Taxes—Uncle Sam wants his cut!
Step 1: Learn how to fill out a tax form.
Step 2: Fill out a tax form based on the income of the job you found at Pretend that you received your W2 and did not pay any taxes throughout the year.
Step 3: Submit for a grade.
Step 4: Add a new page to your website and attach your tax form. Also, using complete sentences, tell me about your taxable income and taxes due.

7. Part 3: Creating a Budget—where am I going to live and what am I going to eat?
Fill in the provided Excel budget.
You are going to do a planned budget by using the recommended maximum guideline amount based on your net income
Plug in the personal choice categories, and assume that you don’t have any credit cards.
Adjust your categories to make your balance 0. You may decrease food if you don’t think you’ll spend the maximum amount.
At this point you might want to consider getting a roommate. If so, you can cut your utilities, internet, and housing in half.

8. Part 3: Creating a Budget— where am I going to live and what am I going to eat?
You will complete the actual budget at the end of the project.
Upload your projected budget to your website. Explain what you changed to get your budget to balance
At the end of the project, you will reflect on how closely your actual budget matched your predicted budget.

9. Part 4: Create a Savings Plan—getting what I want!
Go online and find three different financial institutions (at least one of them needs to be a credit union).
Fill in the provided chart.
Based on your research, choose one financial institution where you would like to open a savings and checking account.
On your website, type your choice, findings from the chart, and why you chose that bank.

10. Part 5: Credit Cards & More—understanding the fine print!
Go online and find three different credit cards.
They must be from three different banks.
Fill in the provided chart.
Based on your research, choose one credit card.
Type up a response essay to your findings from your research on your site.
Submit the chart.

11. Part 6: Getting a car loan
Research three cars at
Choose three cars that you can afford based on your yearly income (monthly payment should not exceed 10% of monthly net income)
Fill in the provided charts
Choose a car to buy and calculate the monthly payment for a 48 and 60 month loan
Type your results on your “Game of Life” site
Include a picture of your car

12. Part 7: Buying a house
Research three potential houses to buy within your budget (no more than 2.5 times your net income)
Fill in the provided chart
Research a 30 year and 15 year mortgage
Choose a house and mortgage based on what you can afford (monthly payment should not exceed 25% of your net income)
Create a page on your Game of Life site
Include all of your Dream House’s features and a picture

13. Part 8: Updated budget/Final reflection
Update your budget with your actual costs.
Reflection…answer these questions:
What did you learn from this project?
How will this project help you in the future?
What would you change?

14. Entire Project Due
Each part is due on the date listed. If you do not have that part on the due date—you will only be eligible for ½ credit on that portion (for the final grade)!!!
You MUST bring your completed part on the due date!
NOT A ROUGH DRAFT!!!!!!
The entire project is due May 15, 2015!