John and Daphne Are Saving for Their Daughter Ellen's College

question 102

Multiple Choice

John and Daphne are saving for their daughter Ellen's college education.Ellen just turned 10 (at t = 0) ,and she will be entering college 8 years from now (at t = 8) .College tuition and expenses at State U.are currently $14,500 a year,but they are expected to increase at a rate of 3.5% a year.Ellen should graduate in 4 years⎯if she takes longer or wants to go to graduate school,she will be on her own.Tuition and other costs will be due at the beginning of each school year (at t = 8,9,10,and 11) . ​
So far,John and Daphne have accumulated $15,000 in their college savings account (at t = 0) .Their long-run financial plan is to add an additional $5,000 in each of the next 4 years (at t = 1,2,3,and 4) .Then they plan to make 3 equal annual contributions in each of the following years,t = 5,6,and 7.They expect their investment account to earn 9%.How large must the annual payments at t = 5,6,and 7 be to cover Ellen's anticipated college costs?

• A)$1,965.21
• B)$2,068.64
• C)$2,177.51
• D)$2,292.12
• E)$2,412.76

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Definitions:

Substitution Effect

The change in consumption patterns due to a change in relative prices, causing consumers to replace pricier items with more affordable substitutes.

Substitution Effect

The change in consumption patterns due to a change in relative prices, causing consumers to substitute away from more expensive items to cheaper alternatives.

Income Effect

The modification of income for someone or within an economy, and its subsequent impact on how much of a good or service is sought after.

Engel Curve

A graph showing the relationship between a consumer's income and their expenditure on a specific good.