ACCC provides consumers in Pennsylvania with six economic concepts they should understand to improve their finances
Boston, MA – July 29, 2019
Economics is a part of consumers’ daily lives, whether they’re at the grocery store or filling out a loan application, so it is important to have basic knowledge of important economic concepts. These concepts are not just about theory; they also explain financial decision-making processes. To help, national nonprofit American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) explains six economic concepts consumers in Pennsylvania should understand.
“Knowing basic economic concepts allows consumers to be more informed when making financial decisions,” said Steve Trumble, President, and CEO of American Consumer Credit Counseling. “Understanding basic economics is vital for consumers because these concepts impact so much of our daily lives and highlight why individuals often make certain decisions over others.”
According to the most recent report in 2016 on Economic and Personal Finance Education in Pennsylvania, only 15 percent of the state’s school districts have a personal finance requirement upon graduation. The survey also found that the number of students taking courses in economics or personal finance dropped by almost 100,000 from 2013 to 2016.
ACCC explains six economic concepts for consumers to know.
- Supply and demand – This is the reason prices fluctuate. If the demand is high, the price goes up, and manufacturers make more because their revenue will increase significantly. When the supply grows, and the demand lessens, prices drop.
- Scarcity – Scarcity refers to the gap between limited resources and the potential unlimited wants and needs of consumers. This requires individuals to make decisions about how to effectively utilize limited products and resources to satisfy all these wants and needs. For example, wheat is used to make several different products such as pasta, bread and beer. There is a limited amount of wheat to make all these products, so there is a limit to how much can be made of each individual product.
- Money supply – Money supply is the amount of US currency circulating in the economy as well as the amount in consumers’ bank accounts. When there’s an increase in the money supply, interest rates typically decrease, which can make it less expensive to borrow and stimulate spending among consumers.
- Opportunity cost – Opportunity cost represents the benefits a consumer misses out on when picking one thing over another. Consumers who can understand the opportunities they will access and forgo by making one decision over another often make more informed financial decisions.
- Incentives – Incentives are offered to motivate consumers to act a certain way. For example, incentives such as bonuses are given to employees to encourage them to work hard. When the economy is down, incentives can help businesses stay afloat.
- Costs and benefits – This is when consumers compare the benefits a product or service will give them to see if those benefits outweigh the cost. Businesses and the government use this on a bigger scale to consider profits or consumer benefits compared to the cost of the plan or policy.
About American Consumer Credit Counseling
American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) is a nonprofit credit counseling 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering consumers to achieve financial management through credit counseling, debt management, bankruptcy counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling and financial education concerning debt solutions. To help consumers reach their goal of debt relief, ACCC provides a range of free consumer personal finance resources on a variety of topics including budgeting, credit and debt management, student loan assistance, youth and money, homeownership, identity theft, senior living, and retirement. Consumers can use ACCC’s worksheets, videos, calculators, and blog articles to make the best possible decisions regarding their financial future. ACCC holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®). For more information or to access free financial education resources, log on to ConsumerCredit.com or visit https://www.consumercredit.com/debt-resources-tools/
