Family Financial Planning (FFP)

This is an archived copy of the 2022-2023 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.

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Any experimental courses offered by FFP can be found at: registrar.iastate.edu/faculty-staff/courses/explistings/

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Courses

Courses primarily for graduate students, open to qualified undergraduates:

(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.


Theories of family functioning, macroeconomic theory related to family resource allocation decisions, the family as an economic unit, and the interaction of the economy and families.

(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.


Microeconomic theory as it relates to family resource allocation decisions, theories of household behavior, the lifecycle hypothesis, behavioral economics, behavioral finance, theories of behavioral change, and psychological theories of family well-being. Focus on empirical research investigating household financial decision-making.

(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.


Introduction to the financial planning process and establishing client-planner relationships. Applied work in cash flow, credit and debt, income tax, insurance, investment, retirement and estate planning. Review of services provided to families, documentation required, ethics in financial planning, and Certified Financial Plannerâ„¢ licensee responsibilities.

(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.


Theory and research regarding the interactive process between the client and the practitioner, including communication techniques, motivation and esteem building, the counseling environment, ethics, and methods of data intake, verification, and analysis. Other topics include legal issues, compensation, uses of technology to identify resources, information management, and current or emerging issues.

(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.


Fundamentals of the estate planning process, including estate settlement, estate and gift taxes, property ownership and transfer, and powers of appointment. Tools and techniques used in implementing an effective estate plan, ethical considerations used in providing estate planning services, and new and emerging issues in the field. Case studies provide experience in developing estate plans suitable for varied family forms.

(Cross-listed with HD FS). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. SS., offered even-numbered years.


The role of housing and real estate in the family financial planning process, including taxation, mortgages, financial calculations, legal concerns, and ethical issues related to home ownership and real estate investments. Emphasis on emerging issues in the context of housing and real estate.

(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.


Study of micro and macro considerations for retirement planning. Survey of various types of retirement plans, ethical considerations in providing retirement planning services, assessing and forecasting financial needs in retirement, and integration of retirement plans with government benefits.

(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS.


Overview of the topics relevant to the financial planning process that address the unique needs of military service members and their families.

(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.


In-depth study of risk management concepts, tools, and strategies for individuals and families, including life insurance; property and casualty insurance; liability insurance; accident, disability, health, and long-term care insurance; and government-subsidized programs. Current and emerging issues and ethical considerations relative to risk management. Case studies provide experience in selecting insurance products suitable for individuals and family, study of investment options for clients including common stocks, fixed income securities, convertible securities, and related choices. Relationships between investment options and employee/employer benefit plan choices. Current and emerging issues and ethics are included.

(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.


In-depth information on income tax practices and procedures including tax regulations, tax return preparation, the tax audit processes, the appeals process, preparation for an administrative or judicial forum, and ethical considerations of taxation. New and emerging issues related to taxation. Family/individual case studies provide practice in applying and analyzing tax information and recommending appropriate tax strategies.

(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.


Challenges of managing financial planning practices including, but not limited to: business valuation, personnel, marketing, client services, ethics and technological applications. Relying both on a theoretical as well as an applied approach, students analyze case studies that provide relevant, practical exposure to practice management issues, with a strong emphasis on current research findings.

(Cross-listed with HD FS). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.


Evaluation of investment markets for the household. Analysis of how families choose where to put their savings. Emphasis is on using the family's overall financial and economic goals to help inform investment choices.

Cr. 3-6. F.S.SS.


Supervised experience in family financial planning.

(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.

Prereq: FFP 530, FFP 540, FFP 545, FFP 555, FFP 565, FFP 583
Professional issues in financial planning, including ethical considerations, regulation and certification requirements, communication skills, and professional responsibility. Students are expected to utilize skills obtained in other courses and work experiences in the completion of personal finance case studies, the development of a targeted investment policy, and other related financial planning assignments.