Viewing Online On Ground Online sections — 7 topics, discussion questions, one cumulative final In-person sections — 3 units, Exams 1–3, then the final

Course format

Topic 3

Unit 2 · Topic 3

Financial Literacy – Savings

Simple vs. compound interest, the CPI and inflation, and annuity formulas for planning how money grows over time.

First time here? Take a tour of the week.

80 pts 310 pts in Unit 2 4 objectives

What you'll learn

Use simple and compound interest formulas to analyze financial issues.
Explore the relationship between the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and inflation.
Use the lump sum and annuity formulas to explore methods of financial savings.
Analyze systems of investments to help develop financial literacy skills.

Unit 2 point breakdown

310 pts total

Covers Topics 3 and 4 together.

Topic 3 & 4 Homework (ALEKS) graded under Topic 3 20
Exam 2 Review (ALEKS) graded under Topic 4 15
Exam 2 (in class, LockDown) graded under Topic 4 75
Major Assignment 2: Loans graded under Topic 4 200

Participation 150 pts — Across all 14 weeks — not tied to one unit. Discussion questions are not graded in your section.

Sections

Mini Lesson A quick read on the week's core ideas. ~250 words. DQ 1: Discussion Walkthrough, posting rhythm, and what the DQ is really asking. DQ 2: Discussion Walkthrough, posting rhythm, and what the DQ is really asking. Review Six worked questions to practice before ALEKS. Mastery Check 4 quick questions - 2 multiple choice, 2 calculations. Perfect score earns one substantive participation post.

Interactive tools

Playground Compound Interest Lab Drag the principal, rate, and time. Watch six curves, see the APY ranking, and find out how much compounding earned you over plain simple interest. Playground Retirement Planner Stream of monthly deposits, decades of compounding. Watch the contribution band stay thin while the interest band balloons — then compare two start ages side by side. Course tool Financial Formulas Calculator Pick one of the seven ALEKS dictionary formulas, pick which variable is missing, fill in the rest. Includes a downloadable Excel workbook.

Tools & Resources

Library Topic 3 resource library Curated extras across all 6 lessons. 3 items available so far. Study aid Glossary Every vocab term across the 6 lessons in one study sheet. 30 terms so far. Study aid Cheat sheet Key formulas, common mistakes, and quick-reference factors. Printable for the test.