Students

AFAS200 – Principles of Financial Literacy

2017 – S1 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Tutor
Lydia Liu
Refer to iLearn
Angela Chow
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
21cp at 100 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit develops financial literacy, enabling students to understand what is needed to achieve a lifestyle that is financially sustainable, ethical and responsible. On completion of the unit, students will be able to set financial goals, establish a working budget, understand and distinguish between different investment instruments, understand the key features of superannuation in Australia and understand the implications of common financial contracts and employment structures. These outcomes aim to develop students' research and problem solving skills and develop personal judgement and initiative.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures and vehicles and debt instruments,
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

General Assessment Information

Assessment criteria for all assessment tasks will be provided on the unit iLearn site. 

Assessment Task Marks: It is the responsibility of students to view their marks for each within session assessment on iLearn within 20 working days of posting. If there are any discrepancies, students must contact the unit convenor immediately. Failure to do so will mean that queries received after the release of final results regarding assessment marks (not including the final exam mark) will not be addressed.

 

Feedback Prior Census Date:

One of the weekly tutorial assignments will be marked before census date to provide students with feedback and an indication of whether they have a satisfactory understanding of this unit week 1 materials.If you are having difficulties, please arrange to see the Unit Convenor and consider withdrawing before the census date.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Weekly tutorial Assignmnet 20% No Weekly
Mid Term Test 20% No TBA
Final Exam 40% No TBA
Individual Assignment 20% No TBA

Weekly tutorial Assignmnet

Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%

Student will be required to make four submissions online on the designated topics.

The questions will be based on the weekly materials covered.

Further information and exact due date will be posted on iLearn.

Extension 

No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for disruptions to studies is made and approved.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures and vehicles and debt instruments,
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Mid Term Test

Due: TBA
Weighting: 20%

The mid-term test will be a one hour test conducted online. Further information will be posted on iLearn.

Extension

No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures and vehicles and debt instruments,
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Final Exam

Due: TBA
Weighting: 40%

The Final Exam will be a two hour online exam held in the Exam Week. Further details will be posted on iLearn prior to the exam.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures and vehicles and debt instruments,
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Individual Assignment

Due: TBA
Weighting: 20%

The assignment has to be submitted online via Turnitin.. Exact date will be advised on iLearn.

Extension

No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted. The assignment will require you to present a report base on a case study question. Further information will be provided via ilearn during the session.  


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures and vehicles and debt instruments,
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Delivery and Resources

Please note: This is an online course and therefore it is the student’s responsibility to have the

technology to access the material and to complete the assigned tasks. No exceptions or

extensions will be granted because of issues with the student’s technology, the student's internet

provider or the student's internet connectivity.

Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

Focus on Personal Finance (McGraw-HILL, by Kapour, Dlabay and Hughes)

Further resources:

Readings will be drawn from the online sources including journal articles and students are also

expected to follow web links in the Learning Management System and download materials.

Technology Used and Required

Technology requirements:

. Access to a computer

2. Access to Microsoft Office

3. Access to the Internet

Unit Web Page

Course material is available on the learning management system (iLearn) The web page for this

unit can be found at ilearn.mq.edu.au.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Students are expected to listen to online lectures and read the material supplied via iLearn.

Unit Schedule

AFAS200 – Weekly Lecture Schedule

Week Topic

Week 1 Personal Finance Basics

Week 2 Money Management strategy

Week 3 Setting Goals & Objectives

Week 4 Investment – Fundaments

Week 5 Investment – Shares

Week 6 Investment - Bonds

Week 7 Investment – Managed Investments /Real estates & Alternatives

Week 8 Investment – Managed Investments / Real estates & Alternatives

Week 9 Insurance

Week 10 Superannuation

Week 11 Taxation

Week 12 Estate Planning

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Supplementary exams

Information regarding supplementary exams, including dates, is available at: http://www.businessandeconomics.mq.edu.au/current_students/undergraduate/how_do_i/special_consideration

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures and vehicles and debt instruments,
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Assessment tasks

  • Weekly tutorial Assignmnet
  • Individual Assignment

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures and vehicles and debt instruments,
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Assessment tasks

  • Weekly tutorial Assignmnet
  • Mid Term Test
  • Final Exam
  • Individual Assignment

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures and vehicles and debt instruments,
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Assessment tasks

  • Weekly tutorial Assignmnet
  • Mid Term Test
  • Final Exam
  • Individual Assignment

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understanding the role of financial goals and developing personal financial goals.
  • Constructing and maintaining a working budget.
  • Assessing, comparing and evaluating common investment, structures and vehicles and debt instruments,
  • Understanding the principle of saving and planning for retirement.
  • Understanding of the general operation principles of taxation, superannuation, insurance and estate planning.

Assessment tasks

  • Weekly tutorial Assignmnet
  • Mid Term Test
  • Final Exam
  • Individual Assignment