Essays and Research Papers on Personal Finance

This 12 page paper examines the financial performance of Steinway and compares it to Yamaha and industry averages. The paper examines profitability, liquidity, asset use and the stock performance between the year 2004 and 2006. The bibliography cites 5 sources.

This 26 page paper is an in-depth analysis of Walgreen’s financial performance, concentrating on operating issues. The paper looks at issues concentrating assets, liabilities and cash flow, including accounts receivable, liquidity, inventory management and efficiency, investments, management and efficiency of fixed assets, long term liabilities, leases, earnings per share, retained earnings and stock price movements. ...

A 5 page paper assessing variances in standard and actual costs of a manufacturing company. The company determined standard costs for the production of a specific item, purchased what it believed would be the raw materials it would need for a subsequent month and now seeks to determine variances between actual costs and standard ...

This 3 page paper examines Rhoads' (1985) book on economics. Several quotes are included. The book is summarized and analyzed. No additional sources cited.

A 6 page paper discussing the need to limit working capital. At first glance, increasing working capital over time would seem to be advantageous for the organization. While the company needs to seek to increase revenues over time, increasing the amount of working capital available to it is not always in its best ...

The 17 page paper is written in 3 parts answering questions set by the student. The first part considers the costs that are presented in a case study and the way these will vary for a services company compared to an equipment hire business and issues such as why the owners may move to a ...

This 6 page paper examines the potential of international accounting standards considering the advantages and disadvantages of harmonisation and the specific challenges and barriers that exist preventing the US from adopting International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The paper start of a general overview of the implications for harmonisation and then considers the specific difficulties ...

This 7 page paper looks at the projection for years 2006 – 2010 for a case study provided by the student looking at how much additional funding may be required in future years as well as assessing how that funding may be provided. The bibliography cites 2 sources.

A 7 page paper which examines outsourcing and argues it should not be allowed. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 6 page paper examines services available with from an on shore bank, explaining what they are, how they work. After this the paper then explains how the bank manages the relationship with the customers balancing the needs of savers and borrowers. The bibliography cites 2 sources.

This 6 page paper examines hedging funds and the insurance market. The first part of the paper discusses the role and problems associated with hedge funds, the second part of the paper considers the general problems wit the regulation of the insurance markets in the US. The bibliography cites 5 sources.

This 6 page paper looks at a case study supplied by the student. A company has a new range of charcoal burners and needs to determine the wholesale price with reference to specific mark up for the retail and the mail order market. The paper shows the causation for the break even point at the ...

This 4 page paper examines the risk faced by all international businesses; exchange rate fluctuation. The paper considers why it occurs and the major influences before identifying different tools that could be used to reduce the risk to the business. The bibliography cites 2 sources.

A 4 page paper providing trend analysis of Wal-Mart 2003 – 2005 and comparing several key statistics to those of competitors Target and Costco. Based on historical results, Wal-Mart appears to be positioned well for maintaining its current path. All of retail has been stressed in recent years; though Wal-Mart has not been ...

A 5 page paper examining the wisdom of a 3-dentist practice joining US DentalCare, a managed care program. Examination of data reveals that joining the US DentalCare program will increase the practice's revenues by 61% but increase patient loads by less than 20%. The paper concludes that the practice should accept US DentalCare's ...

This 3 page paper looks at questions set by the student. The first questions looks at net sales for a company over a period of years and asses if a 10% increase is possible the following year. The second question considers a profit and loss (income) account where there is to be a 20% increases ...

This 9 page paper discusses the economic theories of Adam Smith and David Ricardo and the major differences between them. It argues that though there were different in many respects, with regard to international trade their thinking was almost identical. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 10 page paper discussing what went wrong in the auditing system at the height of the savings and loan scandal, specifically at Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. Better communication and greater accountability possibly could have prevented the Lincoln scandal; at least they could have prevented it from growing to the level it did. ...

A paper which looks at the impact that globalisation and the liberalisation of trade has had on the Australian economy in recent years, with specific reference to social inequality. Bibliography lists 12 sources.

A 5 page paper using the stock of Rite Aid Corp (RAD) to discuss much of the information available at Yahoo!'s financial section. The paper also discusses stocks and bonds with the goal of distinguishing between their behavior. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 6 page paper examines money as a stock and not a flow item and considers the reasons that there may be demand for money. The paper looks at the influences on transaction motivation and speculative motivation and how they will impart on demand levels. The bibliography cites 6 sources.

This 3-page paper reviews some of the steps of an IPO, and examines the balance sheet and public offering for Weight Watchers Inc. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 4 page paper presenting a nine-month cash budget for a manufacturer with highly uneven sales. The first and last months are missing necessary values so the cash budget is really only for 6 months rather than 9, but it is obvious that the company will need a large short term loan to account ...

This 7-page paper gives an overview of current economic indicators in the United States. Also included is an explanation of the sub-prime crisis and credit crunch, and Countrywide Financial's part in it. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

This 25 page paper answers a range of investment question posed by the student, all of which involve calculations. The first few look at bond yields and bond prices at changing interest rates, the investment decisions are considered looking at incremental cash flows and terminal cash flows, the final questions ass investment choices using the ...