FIN - Finance

A study of the four functions of managerial finance: the capital budgeting decision process, capital structure decision process, evaluation and control of long-range financial decisions, and working capital management. The impact of these financial decisions on the firm's risk level is analyzed. Prerequisite: BUS-100 and ACC-201 or Admission to the CAPS BSA or BSBA program.

A general course dealing with the problems of the consumer in the American economic system; a practical study of personal consumption, buying habits, health and medical care, and housing; an introduction to investment; an introduction to insurance. No prerequisite.

During this course students will learn to interpret financial statements used to make informed business decisions while demonstrating a working knowledge of financial markets, institutions, and investment banking. Financial assets will be evaluated from a biblical perspective as the student integrates the time value of money, risk return considerations, and the cost of capital into capital investment decisions and capital budgeting.

The student will evaluate accounting and financial statements from a leadership perspective and biblical worldview. Through the lens of leadership decision making, the student will learn how accounting data is generated and processed and how operational and capital budgets as well as financial markets affect company success in the marketplace.

A study of the investment alternatives available to individual and institutional investors. Emphasis is placed on stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and money market securities. The student's risk preferences and the risk level of investment alternatives a reanalyzed. Prerequisites: FIN-210 and Admission to the Business Division.

This course introduces students to the varied ownership and leasehold interests available in real estate. In addition, students are introduced to mechanisms which are used to handle the legal issues associated with real estate; methods for marketing real estate; approaches available for the financing of real estate; and the systems used for managing real estate assets. The keys to successful negotiation are integrated throughout the course. The emphasis is on residential real estate, but commercial real estate development is covered as well. Prerequisites: FIN-210 and Admission to the Business Division.

An opportunity for advanced students to obtain valuable work experience and gain expertise in relating classroom material to actual business endeavor. A professional-quality paper analyzing one or more business applications will be prepared under departmental faculty supervision. Prerequisites: FIN-210, one 300/400 level Finance major course, and Admission to the DeVoe Division of Business.

Service-Learning is an educational experience in which students participate in organized service activities that meet identified community and/or university needs. Prerequisite: Admission to the Business Division

The course introduces the principles of financial planning and covers the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, CFP Board's Procedural Rules, the function, purpose, and general structure of financial institutions, financial services regulations and requirements, consumer protection laws, and the fiduciary standard and application. The student will learn the financial planning process and construct statements of financial position and cash-flow statements as applied to clients consistent with sound personal accounting practices, and create a debt management plan for a client that minimizes cost and maximizes the potential to reach financial goals. Additional topics include economic concepts, time value of money concepts and calculations, education needs analysis, education savings vehicles, education funding, and gift/income tax strategies. This course also covers planner and client attitudes, values, and biases, behavioral finance, sources of money conflict, principles of counseling, general principles of effective communication, and crisis events with severe consequences. Throughout this course, the student will integrate biblical wisdom and the Virtuous Business Model into a review of personal financial planning.

The course focusses on the foundations of risk management for individuals and businesses and covers the principles of risk and insurance, analysis and evaluation of risk exposures, health insurance and healthcare cost management (individual and group), and long-term care insurance and long-term care planning (individual and group). Topics include qualified and non-qualified annuities, life insurance (individual and group), business owner insurance solutions, insurance needs analysis, and nsurance policy and company selection. Throughout this course, a biblical perspective of risk management will be applied. Prerequisite: FIN-420

The course focuses on investment planning. Topics include the characteristics, uses and taxation of investment vehicles, types of investment risk, market cycles, quantitative investment concepts and measure of investment returns, and asset allocation and portfolio diversification. Students will also learn bond and stock valuation concepts, portfolio development and analysis, investment strategies, and alternative investments and liquidity risk. Throughout the course, a biblical perspective of investment management will be applied. Prerequisite: FIN-420

This course focuses on the income tax system for individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities and covers fundamental and current tax law, income tax fundamentals and calculations, tax reduction/management techniques, and the tax consequences of property transactions. Students will also learn the tax implication of special circumstances, and charitable/philanthropic contributions and deductions. Throughout this course, students interpret taxes using biblical principles. Prerequisite: FIN-420

The course focuses on the retirement needs analysis. Social Security and Medicare planning, eldercare and special needs planning, types of retirement plans, and qualified plan rules and options. Students will also learn non-qualified plan rules and options, key factors affecting selection for businesses, distribution rules and taxation, retirement income and distribution strategies, and business succession planning. Throughout this course, students interpret taxes using biblical principles. Prerequisite: FIN-420

This course synthesizes the principles and practices of financial planning. The student will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the content found within the Financial Planning curriculum and effectively apply and integrate this information in the formulation of a financial plan, and effectively communicate the financial plan, both orally and in writing, including the information based on research; peer, colleagues, or simulated interaction; and results emanating from synthesis of material. The student will collect all necessary and relevant qualitative and quantitative information required to develop a financial plan, and analyze personal financial situations, evaluating clients' objectives, needs, and values to develop an appropriate strategy within the financial plan. The student will demonstrate logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to a specific problem, evaluate the impact of economic, political, and regulatory issues with regard to the financial plan, and apply the CFP Board's Financial Planning Practice Standards to the financial planning process. The students will also integrate biblical principles of leadership, discipleship, stewardship, decision-making, question-asking, and goal-setting involved in the financial planning process. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all financial planning courses.

This course focuses on the components of estate planning which include property titling and beneficiary designations, strategies to transfer property, estate and incapacity planning documents, gift, estate, GST Tax compliance, and calculations. Other topics include sources for estate liquidity, types, features, and taxation of trusts, the marital deduction, and intra-family and other business transfer techniques. Students will also learn postmortem estate planning techniques, planning for divorce, unmarried couples and other special situations, and a planning for special needs and circumstances. Throughout this course, students interpret estate planning using biblical principles. Prerequisite: FIN-420

An examination of additional investment alternatives available to individual and institutional investors including options, futures, and convertible securities. Technical analysis and portfolio management theory are examined. Prerequisites: ACC-201, ACC-202, BUS-100, ECO-211, ECO-212, FIN-340, and the appropriate major area gateway course(s).

An examination of capital budgeting under uncertainty, the capital asset pricing model, lease versus buy decisions, and mergers and acquisitions. The impact of these financial decisions on the firm's risk level is analyzed. Prerequisites: FIN-210 and Admission to the Business Division.

This course is designed to move beyond a basic understanding of investment vehicles and focuses on using these vehicles in the area of financial planning for the present as well as for the future. Retirement and estate planning, legal considerations of investment vehicles, and an in depth understanding of various investment classes are only a few of the topics considered. A student who successfully completes this class should be well prepared to take the Series 7 brokerage licensing examination. Prerequisites: FIN-330 and Admission to the Business Division.

An opportunity for advanced students to pursue further study in a finance field of interest in which they have exhausted catalog offerings. Prerequisites: FIN-210 and Admission to the Business Division.

A seminar course intended to develop the senior finance major's professional presentation skills as he/she prepares and delivers the results of the research in FIN-498 from the previous semester. Prerequisite: FIN-498.