The foreclosure issue has been a tough situation for many people. Homes have been lost and dreams deferred. The problem, most people agree, is greed, and the effect has been the tanking of the housing market. But how does one solve an issue that is—whether we like to admit to it or not—part of human nature? How does one solve the “greed” problem? Since that may require more of a dissertation then a short essay, the other thing we can focus on is how to get suppliers to be equitable while still making a profit, and consumers to manage their money better. Being that I am both a teacher and prospective home owner, I'd say it's about education and incentives.
For something that is so important to our nation's economic well-being, personal finance is barely explained, as it is taught for only one semester if that. When I went to high school for example, we were required to take ELP. This dealt with Economics, Law, and Personal finance. In terms of personal finance I learned to (a) balance a check book, (b) fill out a check, (c) the importance of saving and (d) budgeting. Not to say that this isn't important material to learn, but in the years I've graduated, I find that the exact same material is taught today in high schools. Students I feel, are given very rudimentary finance information. Though they certainly already know about credit cards, they don't fully comprehend the concept and dangers of debt. This may be because having a credit history, essentially having a history of being indebted to someone or some company, is almost necessary in order to have a credit score that may eventually permit an individual to purchase either a vehicle or a home in the future. This makes debt sound rather good. As such, one possibl...
... middle of paper ...
...easures which must be taken. These would include appropriate legal measures, some of which have already been set into place by the current administration. The negative side to more laws or legal measures, is that people feel less inclined to ‘do good’ when so much is required of them. Sadly enough, the question remains, why should one spend more money and energy doing good for the long-term, when less expenditure is necessary to be well-off now albeit irresponsible? Just as it is written by the White House on their website, “we cannot begin to tackle the challenges we face...without restoring fiscal responsibility and accountability...” Though this is in reference to Government, the same is true for the issue of foreclosure. It cannot s be solely about educating our youth and future generations, but also about encouraging the current populace to set the bar.
To solve the foreclosure crisis we must take a multi-pronged approach that tackles the issues making the situation worse and that caused the problems in the first place. Our goal is to do this in an efficient and time conscious manner. Any solution is going to have its positive and negative aspects but we must try to maximize the former and minimize the latter.
... main way to fix the foreclosure crisis; education. A concentration on education doesn't mean spend more tax dollars on public schools. I mean increase the quality and target of the curriculum in the schools that do exist. Americans learn of Paul Revere but do they know about Louis McFadden. We learn about capitalism and democracy but do we know how it is sustained. Do we teach and require from ourselves and our children the common sacrifice needed to maintain our way of life. Do we know and understand our rights, not in some superficial manner but in a substantial internalizing way. I think if we did, we would be greater demanders and defenders of such. Property, due process, legal vocational pursuits, and contract rights are such that if not protected, will not only foster more and deeper foreclosure and financial crises, but could end our democracy as we know it.
As college students now, we know how important it is to know about how to avoid debts because many of us are or will rely on student loans to get through our higher education. Champlain College’s Center for Financial Literacy used national data to grade each state in the United States on how much effort is put into providing financial literacy for their high school students. Based on the information gathered in 2015 only 5 states obtained a letter A grade on their financial literary education; these states are Utah, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia. These states require their students to take between half a year to a whole year of a either general financial literacy or personal finance. It is unclear how the student achievement is measured after taking these courses, but the resources to learn about what to expect are provided and are required to be able to graduate from high school, which cannot be said about all other 45 states in our country. 11 of the states were given a letter F grade, including our beloved California. These states do not offer finance classes alone or embedded into other courses. Although the achievement of students who take these courses is not exactly measured after graduating it is still significant information for them to carry with them into their adulthood. Many high school graduates will enroll in a community college or a 4-year university and will be targeted by credit card companies because they lack the knowledge on how important credit is and how to avoid debts. This is not only a worry shared by the graduating students but by the parents as well. MasterCard gave a survey to its cardholder members and 64 percent of these adults said they were worried that their
As foreclosure becomes a major problem in America people are looking for a way to save their homes without completely losing everything. Owning a home with a white picket fence is the American dream but in recent years it has become more of a nightmare. One way to fix the foreclosure problem would be to use social security as way to help pay for the debt they have accrued. Social security is set up to help Americans when they retire and also to help them in troubling situations such as, insurance for disability, veterans insurance, food stamps, unemployment insurance, and other forms of welfare. The government could use the social security fund as a way to help people out of debt and help save their homes from foreclosure. A plan that uses social security money to help people out of debt could be set up as a loan with a low interest rate attached. This loan could have a form of collateral attached in order to create a program where people are not just taking money with out responsibility and understand the value the given money carries. In order to determine what amount of money people would receive, a figure could be estimated based on their current jobs and how much they are estimated to receive from social security by the time they reach the age of retirement. This amount of money would equal their amount for their loan to help pay off their debt. Essentially people would be barrowing their social security money but would eventually be paying it back. Ideally when they go to retire they would not have lost any of their social security money. The loans must only be used to pay back debt on ones home and if used on something else, such as car payments, or are not paid back, then the person will receive less money then previou...
I wonder if as a family opens the door to their new home, a place where they have holiday dinners, celebrate birthday parties or just are able to say “Home”, understands the importance of their investment. One of the most important investments in a person’s life is purchasing a home. Whether it’s a first-time home buyer or a veteran, buying a home is a complex process. Figuring out how much you can afford, learning your rights, shopping for loans, these are a few steps in the home buying process that when learned correctly, can produce a successful homeowner. Learning how to take care of something as special as a home takes time and effort from all those who are present in the home. As the country deals with the economy and the war, the last thing America needs is more homeless people and the rise of the crime rate. Two ideas I have come up with to help solve the foreclosure crisis is to add a investment course to the high school curriculum across America and insurance companies creating an insurance package that consolidates home and auto insurance at an income base rate.
As of today America’s national debt is 18 trillion dollars and approximately 5 trillion of that is held by foreign countries including China and Japan. In the last few years we seem to hear more about balancing the country’s budget and politicians raising the debt ceiling so we can pay on this debt. How have we gotten into such an overwhelming and complicated problem with our nation’s money? Ironically the same can be said for our individual household debt as well as making the same mistakes and trying to find creative ways to be accountable to our financial responsibilities. Teaching the basics of personal finance n our schools can culturally change our financial practices, leading to a more financially literate public and a stronger, more stable, America. If the younger generations can become more financially savvy, then there is an opportunity for our nation as a whole to become less dependent on debt to survive.
As young people begin their transition into university life there is reason to suggest that the lack of financial literacy provided through public or private education has caused an increase in debt for the demographic. However, credit card debt is not a new social issue and does not find its origin with college students. Debt among Americans has steadily grown as more people rely on credit cards. These habits have provided an example to younger generations, which has shaped how money is managed. Given that money is often viewed as promoting security, status, and power many issues arise over debt specifically related to newer spenders.
Foreclosure in America has been a rising and prominent problem recently, and has destroyed many Americans hopes and dreams. Over 2.3 million homes were foreclosed in 2008, and an estimated four million homes will be foreclosed by the end of this year. Despite the efforts of many banks and lending companies, over half of homes will foreclose that have received their help. I believe that we have only started in the right direction in solving the foreclosure crisis. Giving money and lowering mortgage rates will help, but I believe we should find out why Americans are in this situation in the first place. We are being too stereotypical when we think the only reason someone is foreclosing is because of irresponsible payments or buying a home out of a person’s capabilities to pay for it. If we understand their situation, we will be better enabled to help and solve their crisis.
One might say there is a strong argument for the requirement of financial literacy for students in America. Americans continue to have increased balances on their credit cards as well as show a continued increase in bankruptcy filings according to statistics. Even the “baby boomer” generation is no longer exempt from financial hardships, as their generation has recently taken the title of “Fastest Growing Bankruptcy Demographic” from the 25 – 34 year olds (Linfield, 2011). Would it not make sense to say that Americans need to learn how to budget and borrow more wisely? Would not the best place to start be in schools? Well, the answer to that question is not a simple one.
As an Advance accounting student here at Navajo Technical University in Crownpoint, NM, accounting is a major part in our daily lives and so is being in debt. On the Navajo reservation majority of the population are in debt and that is due to the lack of financial education provided. As being a parent, wondering about my children’s future and would like for them to be debt free in the future. Developing a foundation of personal finance in high school would be very helpful. Second, exposing teens to strategies to better themselves financially is a 21st century survival skill and last, opening the minds of students and having them to make inform decisions on finance at an early age would help them in their future. An overwhelming majority of teens—87%-- admit they don’t know much about personal finance, according to a new study by ING Direct. All high school students should take a personal finance course.