Financial Literacy Resources

July 2015. In this issue of Math in the News we analyze the amazing box office success of the recently released Jurassic World. This provides an excellent application of data analysis and linear equations.

January 2016. In this issue of Math in the News we explore the dramatic box office returns of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It provides an excellent opportunity to apply concepts of linear systems.

August 2016. In this issue of Math in the News, look at real world box office data to analyze what makes a movie a blockbuster.

September 2016. In this issue of Math in the News, we look at back-to-school purchases and the impact that different tax rates have on the total cost.

November 2016. In this issue of Math in the News, we look at the history of Thanksgiving, as well as the cost of preparing the historically relevant meal.

4/11/11. In this issue we look at the high price of gasoline and investigate whether a hybrid car makes more economic sense. We look at various statistics to make a determination.

5/30/11. In this issue we look at the subject of taxation of tobacco products. Many states are using such taxes to meet budget shortfalls. What are the unintended consequences of these taxes?

7/11/11. In this issue we look at the underlying factors that make Texas such a powerhouse for employment. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, we dig into the numbers.

8/22/11. In this issue we look at the way in which the U.S. government borrows money. This involves an exploration of Treasury bonds and notes.

12/19/11. In this issue we look at the steep drop in the price of NetFlix’s stock. We examine why it happened and make a prediction about the stock’s future.

January 2012. In this issue of Math in the News we look at the Facebook IPO.

January 2012. In this issue of Math in the News, we look at box office data from 2011.

February 2012. In this issue we look at unemployment statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

May 2012. In this issue of Math in the News we look at unemployment statistics and compare the U3 and U6 stats.

September 2012. In this issue we look at August 2012 unemployment statistics.

In this episode of Algebra Applications, students explore the dramatic events of 2008 related to the mortgage crisis. Brought about principally through mortgage defaults, the effect on the overall economy was severe.

In this introductory segment students learn about the mortage crisis of 2008. In the process they get a brief introduction to what a mortgage is.

This is part of a collection of videos from the Algebra Applications video series on the topic of Data Analysis.

The time value of money is at the basis of all loans. Students learn about the key factors that determine monthly mortgage payments and use the TI-Nspire to create an amortization table. This table is used throughout the rest of the program to explore different scenarios.

Having learned the general features of a mortgage, students learn the specifics of a subprime mortgage. With this comes the notion of a credit score, and with credit scores come the probabilities for a loan default.

Another factor in the mortgage crisis was the use of adjustable rate mortgages. Students run a number of scenarios to test adjustable rate mortgages, while also taking into account the state of the housing market during the time of the mortgage crisis.