FIN 450: Retirement Planning

Textbook Information

  • “Retirementology” by Gregory Salsbury (either print or digital copy is fine) (ISBN: 978-0137056538)
    • E-Book Option: An online version of Retirementology is available at no cost as a Penn State Library E-Book. Some E-Books will only be available online, while others will be available to download in full or in part. This book will be available for free through the Penn State Libraries.
  • “Holistic Retirement Planning (2nd Edition)” by Eric Robbins. Available in two formats (pick one)

 

Published Remarks

  • None

Hardware Requirements

  • Calculator: Texas Instruments BA II Plus (the only calculator permitted for exams)

Software Requirements

  • None

Proctored Exams

  • None

Course Description

Retirement planning: qualified and non-qualified plans, characteristics, provisions, regulations administration, application approach with case studies. FIN 450 Retirement Planning (3) This course presents retirement planning from the perspective of a financial services practitioner. Students will develop a working knowledge of both qualified and non-qualified company retirement plans including plan characteristics, provisions, applications, and qualifications. Individual retirement plans will also be covered. Exposure to the regulatory and legal basis for plans will be provided. Application case studies will be integrated throughout the course. Emphasis will be placed on designing an appropriate plan given either an individual or a company situation.

FIN 450 is segmented into five (5) modules, which contain a series of lessons. Think of each lesson as a written lecture based upon a chapter in the book. The course schedule will outline the due dates for all activities and assignments in each of the modules. It is very important for you to follow the course schedule. The course syllabus contains all the pertinent information about the course, but the following are critical elements to your success in the course. At the beginning of each lesson, you will find a list of learning objectives for that lesson. These learning objectives are what the quizzes and exams are based upon. I have provided additional “Food for Thought” articles and resources which should help you meet the learning objectives as well. Assignments for each lesson, current events presentations, and the weekly discussions will help you evaluate your understanding of the material. For the weekly discussion forums, I will pose weekly questions for you to respond to and expand upon as the week progresses. You should review the guidelines and evaluation rubric (located on the Resources page), so you have an idea what I’m looking for. In addition to lesson-based activities, you will also complete a Retirement Plan for a fictitious client. This activity is designed for you to apply some of the concepts learned in the course in a real-world simulation. You will also be responsible for completing four exams based upon the online material and readings.