Consider your last vehicle purchase and the decision making process you engaged in while deciding what vehicle to purchase or if a new vehicle was the right decision. While analyzing your decision, keep in mind that everything from the interest rates to the price of gasoline is driven by the economy in one way or another.
Develop a 1,400-word analysis of your decision-making process in which you include the following:
• Discuss the role of the interest rate and the cost of financing on your purchase decision. Interest rates are derived from the supply and demand for money and the actions of the Federal Reserve System. What was the rate of interest you paid on your vehicle loan? Were interest rates rising or falling at the time of your decision?
• Examine the influence of gasoline prices on the choice of vehicle you selected. Gasoline prices rise and fall dramatically based on economic supply of and demand for crude oil. When gasoline prices are low, Americans buy larger, heavier autos, SUV’s and pick-up trucks. When gas prices are high, Americans purchase more compact and fuel efficient vehicles. When you purchased your last vehicle, were crude oil and gasoline prices rising or falling?
• Discuss the following in regard to your household at the time of your purchase:
o Were you employed?
o Was the economy growing or contracting (recession)?
o If you were employed, did you take into consideration the risk that you might lose your job if a recession occurred during the period of your loan pay-back?
A basic assumption of consumers making purchases of large items requiring financing is that their household cash flow will be adequate to cover the monthly loan payments. For most Americans, this also means assuming continuation of their present wages. But many jobs are sensitive to rises and falls in the business cycle, as witnessed by the 10% unemployment rate of the past “Great Recession.”
Evaluate the financial trade-offs made when making your purchase. This includes lower maintenance costs for a newer vehicle versus a car payment and higher insurance among other factors.
• Discuss the influence of any of these Federal or state level programs on your decision to purchase a vehicle; or if these did not factor into your decision, explain why or why not:
o Buying fuel efficient vehicles such as Flex fuel, hybrids and electrics
o Converting existing vehicles to use alternative fuels (Flex fuel)
o Removing old, fuel inefficient, and high polluting vehicles from the highways
• Explain the influence of environmental factors such as emissions and health concerns on your decision.
• Discuss the ways in which your purchase illustrates one piece of the circular flow model of economic activity. What are the other parts?
• Develop conclusions about the economy’s influence on personal and business decision making such as purchases, investments, and so forth.
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