Episodes

  • 8. Inflation: Real vs. Nominal Rates

    8. Inflation: Real vs. Nominal Rates
    Dec 2 2024
    Welcome back to Finance ABC! I’m Emma Lai, and today we’re diving into a topic that’s both timely and essential for understanding how money really works: inflation, and more specifically, the difference between real and nominal rates. Whether we’re looking at interest rates, investment returns, or income growth, understanding the difference between real and nominal rates is crucial. Inflation affects everything from our purchasing power to the value of investments, and by understanding how inflation interacts with interest rates, we get a clearer picture of our true financial health.
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    12 mins
  • 7. Annuities and Perpetuities

    7. Annuities and Perpetuities
    Nov 25 2024
    Welcome back to Finance ABC! I’m Emma Lai, and today we’re diving into the world of annuities and perpetuities. These two concepts are important tools in personal finance, investing, and retirement planning, as well as for understanding corporate finance. They give us ways to think about how money can be distributed over time, which is especially useful for managing income and expenses in a structured, predictable way.
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    12 mins
  • 6. Present Value and Future Value Calculations

    6. Present Value and Future Value Calculations
    Nov 18 2024
    Welcome to Finance ABC! I’m Emma Lai, and today we’re exploring the concepts of Present Value and Future Value — two powerful tools that help us make sense of money over time. Understanding these concepts can make a huge difference in financial planning, helping us determine what an investment today might be worth down the line or, conversely, what a future sum is worth in today's dollars. They’re foundational ideas in finance and investing, and once you grasp them, you’ll find they’re incredibly practical tools for planning, saving, and investing.
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    10 mins
  • 5. Understanding Interest Rates

    5. Understanding Interest Rates
    Nov 11 2024
    Welcome to Finance ABC! I’m Emma Lai, and today we’re going to dig deep into a subject that underpins so many financial decisions: interest rates. This isn’t just a number we hear on the news — interest rates are one of the most powerful levers in finance. They influence everything from the housing market to the value of the dollar, and from credit card payments to the overall health of the economy. By understanding how interest rates work, you’ll not only make more informed financial decisions, but you’ll also get a glimpse into how economic policies shape our daily lives.
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    13 mins