FIN310 • Course Hub Fall 2026

Money & Banking + Financial Markets & Institutions · ECON 310 / FIN 310
Prior course site: FIN310 Fall 2025
Theme:

Course Basics & Projects

Fall 2026 Syllabus

Official course information for this semester.

Syllabus (Word)

Risk Tolerance Assessment

Reusable course tool.

Open Tool

Fall 2026 Term Project

Stablecoins and the Financial System · 10% of the course grade.

Select a major stablecoin and examine how it works, reserves/redemption, benefits and risks, effects on banks/payments, U.S. regulation including the GENIUS Act, and your own analysis.

View Project Guideline

Fall 2026 Official Term Project — Stablecoins and the Financial System
  1. Select a stablecoin: USDT, USDC, PYUSD, or another major stablecoin approved by the instructor.
  2. Background: issuer, launch date, main use, and market importance.
  3. How it works: how it stays near $1, reserve assets, and purchase/redemption process.
  4. Benefits and risks: explain at least three of each.
  5. Stablecoins and banks: possible effects on deposits, bank transfers, cards, and payments.
  6. Regulation: recent U.S. stablecoin regulation, including the GENIUS Act.
  7. Your analysis: will stablecoins become an important part of the U.S. financial system? Support your answer.
  8. Optional presentation: summarize how the stablecoin works, benefits/risks, bank/payment effects, regulation, and conclusion.

Optional Alternative Term Projects — choose one instead of the main project

The official Stablecoins and the Financial System project above remains the main term project. Students who prefer a hands-on alternative may choose one of the two options below.


Option 1 — Develop a Stock Data Fetcher in Google Sheets

Build a simple stock-data tool using Google Sheets + Apps Script.

  1. Let the user enter a stock ticker and starting date.
  2. Use GOOGLEFINANCE to pull the stock name and daily closing prices.
  3. Summarize the data into monthly closing prices.
  4. Calculate monthly stock returns.
  5. Create a simple interface or web app that allows the user to run the tool.
  6. Submit the Google Sheet link, Apps Script code, sample output, and a short explanation of how the system works.
Core Apps Script idea
// Apps Script outline
function doGet() {
  return HtmlService.createHtmlOutputFromFile('index');
}
// Use GOOGLEFINANCE in the sheet for price/name fields,
// then summarize the last close of each month and compute monthly returns.

Option 2 — Design a Stablecoin Tuition Payment System

Scenario: A JU-type small private university is considering allowing students, especially international students, to pay tuition using a U.S. dollar stablecoin such as USDC.

This is a system-design project. You do not need to create a new stablecoin, use real money, or build a full blockchain system.

  1. Design the payment flow: show how a student would pay tuition with USDC and how the university would receive the payment.
  2. Choose the payment structure: explain whether the university should use a provider such as Coinbase or receive stablecoins directly in its own wallet.
  3. Student-account matching: explain how the payment would be linked to the correct student ID, invoice, and tuition balance.
  4. USD conversion: explain whether USDC should be converted immediately to U.S. dollars and transferred to the university bank account.
  5. Compare payment methods: compare stablecoin payment with credit/debit card, ACH/e-check, bank wire, and international payment services in terms of cost, speed, convenience, and availability.
  6. Risk and controls: address incorrect amounts, wrong blockchain/network, refunds, stablecoin depegging, wallet/custody risk, transaction records, and compliance.
  7. Who benefits? discuss whether the system is more useful for domestic or international students and explain why.
  8. Recommendation: should a small private university offer stablecoin tuition payments? Support your conclusion.

Required output: a written analysis plus one clear system-flow diagram. A webpage or prototype is optional.

Example flow: Student → USDC payment → Coinbase/payment provider → USD conversion → University bank account → Student tuition account updated.


Syllabus (On-Page Summary)

Use the downloadable Word syllabus above as the official semester document.

Download syllabus.docx

Meeting Information

Section: ECON 310 • 103Z • 26Fall

When/Where: TR 12:30–1:45 PM · SIJU137

Instructor: Maggie Foley · mfoley3\@ju.edu

Office: DCOBT 118A

Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 3:30–5:00 PM, and by appointment

Required Text

Money, Banking, and Financial Markets, 6th ed.

Cecchetti & Schoenholtz · McGraw-Hill Irwin · 2020

ISBN: 978-1260571363


Course Outcomes
  • Describe major U.S. financial markets and primary financial instruments.
  • Explain the relationship between risk and return.
  • Identify major economic factors that influence interest rates.
  • Explain stock market efficiency.
  • Demonstrate a basic understanding of derivatives.
  • Explain financial intermediation and direct finance.
  • Analyze current monetary policy and its effects.
  • Communicate using standard financial and economic terminology.

Grading & Coursework

ComponentWeight
Two Mid-Term Exams40%
Final Exam20%
Term Project10%
Homework20%
Quizzes10%

Exams are closed book and closed notes. Quizzes are given at the end of class and also serve as attendance checks. Up to six missed quizzes are allowed without penalty.


Fall 2026 Letter Grade Scale
Course %GradeCourse %Grade
89.5–100A89.0–89.49A−
88.5–88.99B+79.5–88.49B
79.0–79.49B−78.5–78.99C+
69.5–78.49C69.0–69.49C−
68.5–68.99D+59.5–68.49D
59.0–59.49D−Below 59.0F

Course Policies — short reminders
  • Homework: due as assigned; late work may receive a penalty.
  • Make-ups: valid documentation is required; notify the instructor before an exam when possible.
  • Electronic devices: generally not allowed unless required for a class activity.
  • Extra credit: no more than 5 extra-credit points across opportunities announced by the instructor.
  • Academic integrity, AI, disability support, FERPA, and copyright policies are stated in the official syllabus.

Fall 2026 Schedule Subject to change
DateTopic / Activity
Tue 8/18Course Introduction
Thu 8/20Gold vs. Stocks / Current-Market Discussion
Tue 8/25Session 1: The Federal Reserve
Thu 8/27Session 2: Monetary Policy – Part I
Tue 9/1Session 2: Monetary Policy – Part II
Thu 9/3Session 3: What Is Money? – Part I
Tue 9/8Session 3: What Is Money? – Part II
Thu 9/10Session 4: Crypto, Stablecoins & Digital Payments – Part I
Tue 9/15Session 4: Crypto, Stablecoins & Digital Payments – Part II
Thu 9/17Banking practice + First Midterm Review
Tue 9/22First Midterm Exam
Thu 9/24Session 5: Banking System — Part I (bank balance sheets, bank failures, the 2008 crisis)
Tue 9/29Session 5: Banking System — Part II (SVB, deposit insurance, bank runs and systemic risk)
Thu 10/1Session 6: Banking Regulation — Part I
Tue 10/6Session 7: Money Creation & Fractional Reserve Banking — Part I
Thu 10/8Session 7: Money Creation & Fractional Reserve Banking — Part II
Session 8: Credit Unions & Banks in Jacksonville — Part I
Tue 10/13Session 8: Credit Unions & Banks in Jacksonville — Part II
Thu 10/15Session 9: Banking & Stablecoin Debates
Tue 10/20Second Midterm Exam — In class · Sessions 5–9 · 40 True/False + 10 Multiple Choice · 2 points each
Thu 10/22Banking Review & Practice
Tue 10/27Banking Review & Practice
Thu 10/29Topic to be announced
Tue 11/3Session 15: Mortgage-Backed Securities
Thu 11/5Session 16: Asset-Backed Securities
Tue 11/10Session 17: Money Markets & Repo
Thu 11/12Current Financial Market Topics
Tue 11/17Blockchain, Bitcoin & Ethereum
Thu 11/19Final Exam Review
Sat 11/21Final Exam, 3:00–5:30 PM & Term Project Due

Exam Solutions & Study Guides

Fall 2026 exam information and study materials will be posted here as they become available.

First Midterm 9/22/2026 · IN CLASS

📌 First Midterm — Tuesday, September 22
Location: In class
Exam Format: 50 questions total
✓ 40 True / False
✓ 10 Multiple Choice
⭐ Open First Midterm Study Guide Solution — Available After the Exam

🎬 First Midterm Study Guide Video

Review all 202 study-guide questions with their brief correct answers. Pause at any time to ask Maggie AI for help, then continue when you are ready.

Second Midterm 10/20/2026 · IN CLASS

📌 Second Midterm — Tuesday, October 20
Location: In class
Coverage: Sessions 5–9 — banking, credit unions, and stablecoins
Exam Format: 50 questions total
✓ 40 True / False
✓ 10 Multiple Choice
Scoring: 2 points each · 100 points total
⭐ Open Second Midterm Study Guide — 250 Questions Solution — Available After the Exam

🎬 Second Midterm Review Video — Sessions 5–9

A 10-minute review of banking, credit unions, and stablecoins, with explanations, examples, and practice statements.

🎧 Listen & Review — All 250 Questions & Answers

A 52-minute audio study review for Sessions 5–9. Each question is read aloud, followed by its answer, from Question 1 through Question 250. No added explanations. Pause before the answer to test yourself.

FIN310 Midterm 2 — 250 Questions and Answers — Listen and Review

Final Exam 11/21/2026 · 3:00–5:30 PM

Final Study Guide — To be updated Solution — To be updated

Course Grade Calculator

Use the FIN310 grade calculator to estimate your course grade.

Open FIN310 Grade Calculator

Trading Game Tools (FINVIZ + MarketWatch)

Use these for the class MarketWatch game. Open an app, pick candidates in FINVIZ, then size the trade properly.

Short-Only Scanner

Daily shorts with presets, risk tool, checklist.

Open Short App

Long-Only Position Builder

Fundamentals + technical entries, sector mix planner.

Open Long App

MarketWatch Games

Virtual Stock Exchange.

Open MarketWatch Games

FINVIZ Screener

Screen stocks, then use the apps above for sizing and diversification.

Open FINVIZ
How to Win the MarketWatch Game
  • Risk about 1% per trade and journal each trade.
  • Diversify; avoid crowding one sector or one theme.
  • Long entries: buy dips in uptrends. Short entries: fade weak bounces.
  • Check news and catalysts before trading.
  • Protect winners with partial exits and trailing stops.

👉Class Game Room — Fall 2026 LIVE

Join the MarketWatch trading game here.

Game - fin310-26f (Live) Password: havefun



What Is Happening in the World Now?

🪙 Gold vs. 📈 Stocks — Grandma's $1,000 Challenge

8/20

Before we begin Session 1, we will start with a current-market discussion. If you receive $1,000, what would you do with it: buy gold or buy stocks?

Listen to different views, think about what is happening in financial markets, weigh the pros and cons, and then make a choice.

Quiz 1 — Group Work of 3

What is your choice — GOLD or STOCKS?
Show your rationale. Work together in a group of 3 and be ready to explain why your group made that choice.


Part I — Money & Banking

Session 2 · Monetary Policy

8/27 & 9/1

Compare 100-, 50-, and 25-bps cuts, staying put, and a rate hike; trace consequences for inflation, jobs, the dollar, stocks, bonds, gold, households, retirees, and global stability. Includes the highlighted easing/tightening toolkit, QE/QT, New York Fed operations, and Quizzes 1–3.

Open Session 2

Session 3 · What Is Money?

9/3 & 9/8

Money versus income and wealth; M0, the monetary base, M1 and M2; bank deposits and money creation; velocity, inflation, interest-rate policy, QT, and federal debt. Includes interactive explanations, videos, homework, and 66 professor-approved questions and answers.

Open Session 3

Session 4 · Crypto, Stablecoins & Digital Payments

9/10 & 9/15

Web3, blockchain, Bitcoin, stablecoin design and reserves, digital payments, bank-issued stablecoins, the GENIUS Act, financial risks, money and Treasury connections, and payment safety. Includes videos, hands-on activities, homework, and 50 professor-approved questions and answers.

Open Session 4

Part II — Banks & Money/Payments

SECOND MIDTERM MATERIAL: Sessions 5–9 · October 20 · In class
SECOND MIDTERM MATERIAL

Session 5 · Banking System & Bank Crises

9/24 & 9/29

Bank balance sheets, capital, liquidity, deposit insurance, supervision, and the lender of last resort. Case studies: the 2008 financial crisis and the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). Explore how bank runs and losses can spread through the financial system.

Open Session 5
SECOND MIDTERM MATERIAL

Session 6 · Banking Regulation

10/1 & 10/6

Why banks are regulated and how the Fed, OCC, and FDIC divide supervision. Explore U.S. banking history, Basel I–III, post-2008 Dodd-Frank reforms, the Volcker Rule, 2018 tailoring, and developments following the 2023 bank failures. Learn how capital (CET1 and risk-weighted assets) differs from liquidity (LCR and NSFR), and examine stress tests, living wills, deposit insurance, bank runs, and the GENIUS Act stablecoin framework. Includes explainer videos, an activity comparing stronger and weaker bank-risk signals, hover-or-tap definitions, interactive ratio calculators, a stress-test challenge, a quiz, and a bank-risk brief comparing risks, safety measures, and trade-offs.

Open Session 6
SECOND MIDTERM MATERIAL

Session 7 · Money Creation & Fractional Reserve Banking

10/6 & 10/8

Learn how loans create deposits and how banks earn income while managing risk. Compare the textbook money multiplier with modern banking: a 0% required reserve ratio does not allow unlimited lending. Explore reserve requirements, excess reserves, cash leakage, capital limits, and liquidity and stable-funding rules. Includes two video explanations, the interactive Build the Multiplier game, definitions you can hover over or tap, a detailed true/false quiz, a short homework write-up, and Ask Maggie AI.

Open Session 7
SECOND MIDTERM MATERIAL

Session 8 · Credit Unions & Banks in Jacksonville

10/8 & 10/13

Compare Jacksonville credit unions and banks, including VyStar, Community First, First Florida, RadiFi, and local bank alternatives. Explore member ownership, eligibility, fees, loan rates, branch/ATM access, institution size, and NCUA versus FDIC deposit insurance. Includes a review video, a 10-question true/false quiz with instant feedback, and simple homework: choose where to bank, check whether your savings are insured, and consider a hypothetical RadiFi job paying about $25 an hour.

SECOND MIDTERM MATERIAL

Session 9 · Banking & Stablecoin Debates

10/15

Use evidence from the banking lessons to debate too-big-to-fail policies, stablecoins versus bank deposits, starting a bank, and responses to bank failures. Compare benefits, risks, regulation, and trade-offs; explain and defend your position.

Open Session 9
WATCH THE CARTOON

Watch the Cartoon

18 short stories about banking choices and consequences.

PLAY THE GAME Gus, Nina, and Chip planning their banking empire

Play Banker Tycoon

Roll dice, build a bank, and compete against Gus. Keep cash to survive!

FYI • OPTIONAL · MBA MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

Stablecoins for Business Owners & Investors | MBA: Strategy, Banking & Global Finance

Optional enrichment from an MBA management perspective: consider stablecoins through business strategy, banking, and global finance, with business owners and investors in mind.


Part III — Markets & Trading Applications

Financial Markets & Instruments

Market structure, financial instruments, intermediaries, and direct finance.

Class notes / existing course materials

Stocks, Risk & Diversification

Risk-return tradeoffs, diversification, stock selection, and class trading tools.

Risk Tolerance Tool

Session 10 · Commodities, Gold & ETFs

Gold history, ETFs, futures, drivers, and interactive labs.

Open Session 10

Session 11 · Futures & Hedging

Contract specs, margin, P/L, basis, hedge ratios, and case studies.

Open Session 11

Session 13 · Foreign Exchange

Rate gaps, parity basics, floating vs. fixed rates, and drivers of the U.S. dollar.

Open Session 13

Session 15 · Mortgage-Backed Securities

11/3

Mortgage securitization, pass-throughs, agency/non-agency MBS, prepayments, TBA basics, 2008.

Open Session 15 — MBS

Session 16 · Asset-Backed Securities

11/5

Student loans, credit cards, auto ABS, tranches, ratings, safety and liquidity.

Open Session 16 — ABS

Session 17 · Money Markets & Repo

11/10

T-bills, CDs, commercial paper, repo, ON RRP, SOFR, safety and liquidity.

Open Session 17

Current Financial Market Topics

11/12

Current developments selected during the semester.

In-class current topics

Session 18 (FYI) · Investing Choices

Personal-finance framework; not on the final.

Open investment.html

Session 19 (FYI) · IRA — Roth vs Traditional

Plain-English overview of IRA types; informational only.

Open ira.html