Your friend, Cindy Brady has come to your for advice. She graduated from college three years ago. She was hired right out of college by a firm she had interned with the summer before her senior year. Her salary is $50,000/year. She has health and dental insurance through her employer (premiums are deducted from paycheck). They also offer a 401(k) that she is eligible for. During college, she had always planned to begin contributing to a 401(k) with her first paycheck, but she was not eligible with this employer until she worked there for one full year. By the time she was eligible, she had purchased a new car, so still didn't begin contributing. She was able to pay her credit cards off, but shortly after that, she moved to a nicer (and more expensive) apartment with some friends, so she still doesn't seem to have any of her paycheck left, and still has not started saving for retirement. She knows that the longer she waits to begin saving, the harder it will be so she has come to you for advice on how she can get her budget under control and start saving. Cindy has previously written out her budget and expects to have almost $300 leftover that she would use to begin saving, but her savings accounts never seems to grow. Also, a few years ago Cindy found herself with rising credit card debt and she was beginning to have difficulty making even the minimum monthly payments. She made some spending changes and began making higher than minimum payments a few months ago and had reduced the balance somewhat, but they are taking longer to pay off than she expected.
Monthly Paycheck
Gross Salary 4,167
FICA Tax 319
Fed w/h 225
State w/h 80
Health Insurance 200
Dental Insurance 50
Net Paycheck 3,293
Budget
Paycheck 3,293
Less expenses:
Rent 1,200
Student Loan Payment 300
Auto Payment 300
Auto Insurance & Fuel 250
Utilities 350
Groceries 300
Misc Exp/Entertainment 300 3,000
Surplus 293
Statement Balances
Auto Loan 17,000
Student Loan 12,000
Credit Card Balance 2,500
Checking Account 1,500
Savings Account 500
Other Assets (Market Value)
Car 15,000
Personal Property 5,000
Cindy has tracked her spending using her checking account and credit card statements. Below are her ACTUAL average monthly expenses:
Rent 1,200
Student Loan Payment (income driven-plan) 140
Car Payment 400
Auto Insurance & Fuel 250
Renters Insurance 50
Food (groceries) 350
Utilities 350
Entertainment/Miscellaneous (including eating out) 500
Clothing 125
ATM withdrawals 160
Credit Card payment 100
(more than minimum, but doesn't pay in full)
Please answer these questions:
1) Assemble Cindy's net worth statement. Be sure to label categories, subcategories, and accounts as appropriate.
2) Assemble Cindy's monthly budget.
3) What is Cindy's net worth?
4) Current ratio?
5) Debt ratio?
6) What is Cindy's monthly surplus/deficit?
7) Is Cindy's monthly rent payment in-line with accepted recommendations? Explain.
8) Savings rate? (use gross income)
9) Is Cindy meeting her stated monthly budgeting goals? Support your answer.
10) If not, give at least two specific suggestions to correct this.
11) Is Cindy's emergency fund sufficient? If not, what amount should she be working towards?
12) Why is it taking Cindy so long to pay off her credit cards? (give at least 2 primary reasons)
13) Comment on Cindy's student loan repayment plan and any concerns or suggestions you have for her.
14) Since Cindy was not eligible for her company's 401(k) during her first year of employment, what could she have done to stick with her plan of beginning to save for retirement with her first paycheck?
THANK YOU