Session 1 · The Federal Reserve
8/25Federal Reserve history, structure, leadership, 12 Reserve Banks, Board of Governors, FOMC, dual mandate, major responsibilities, videos, and Quiz 1 study review.
Open Session 1Stablecoins 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 GuidelineThe 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.
Build a simple stock-data tool using Google Sheets + Apps Script.
GOOGLEFINANCE to pull the stock name and daily closing prices.// 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.
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.
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.
Use the downloadable Word syllabus above as the official semester document.
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
Money, Banking, and Financial Markets, 6th ed.
Cecchetti & Schoenholtz · McGraw-Hill Irwin · 2020
ISBN: 978-1260571363
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Two Mid-Term Exams | 40% |
| Final Exam | 20% |
| Term Project | 10% |
| Homework | 20% |
| Quizzes | 10% |
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.
| Course % | Grade | Course % | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89.5–100 | A | 89.0–89.49 | A− |
| 88.5–88.99 | B+ | 79.5–88.49 | B |
| 79.0–79.49 | B− | 78.5–78.99 | C+ |
| 69.5–78.49 | C | 69.0–69.49 | C− |
| 68.5–68.99 | D+ | 59.5–68.49 | D |
| 59.0–59.49 | D− | Below 59.0 | F |
| Date | Topic / Activity |
|---|---|
| Tue 8/18 | Course Introduction |
| Thu 8/20 | Gold vs. Stocks / Current-Market Discussion |
| Tue 8/25 | Session 1: The Federal Reserve |
| Thu 8/27 | Session 2: Monetary Policy – Part I |
| Tue 9/1 | Session 2: Monetary Policy – Part II |
| Thu 9/3 | Session 3: What Is Money? – Part I |
| Tue 9/8 | Session 3: What Is Money? – Part II + Session 4 Introduction |
| Thu 9/10 | Session 4: Crypto, Stablecoins & Digital Payments |
| Tue 9/15 | Sessions 5–6: Banking System & Banking Regulation |
| Thu 9/17 | Session 7: Fractional Reserve Banking + Midterm Review |
| Tue 9/22 | First Midterm Exam |
| Thu 9/24 | Session 9: Bank Failures, Deposit Insurance & Credit Unions |
| Tue 9/29 | Session 8: Banking & Stablecoin Discussion |
| Thu 10/1 | Financial Markets & Instruments |
| Tue 10/6 | Stocks, Risk & Diversification |
| Thu 10/8 | Session 10: Commodities, Gold & ETFs |
| Tue 10/13 | Session 11: Futures & Hedging |
| Thu 10/15 | Session 12: Mutual Funds |
| Tue 10/20 | Session 13: Foreign Exchange Markets |
| Thu 10/22 | Session 14: Options & Hedging |
| Tue 10/27 | Midterm Review |
| Thu 10/29 | Second Midterm Exam |
| Tue 11/3 | Session 15: Mortgage-Backed Securities |
| Thu 11/5 | Session 16: Asset-Backed Securities |
| Tue 11/10 | Session 17: Money Markets & Repo |
| Thu 11/12 | Current Financial Market Topics |
| Tue 11/17 | Blockchain, Bitcoin & Ethereum |
| Thu 11/19 | Final Exam Review |
| Sat 11/21 | Final Exam, 3:00–5:30 PM & Term Project Due |
The section is kept from the 2025 site, but semester-specific files are not linked to old exams. Fall 2026 files will be added when ready.
Reusable calculator remains in the Fall 2025 folder.
Open FIN310 Grade CalculatorUse these for the class MarketWatch game. Open an app, pick candidates in FINVIZ, then size the trade properly.
Join the MarketWatch trading game here.
Game - fin310-26f (Live) Password: havefunBefore 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.
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.
Federal Reserve history, structure, leadership, 12 Reserve Banks, Board of Governors, FOMC, dual mandate, major responsibilities, videos, and Quiz 1 study review.
Open Session 1Compare 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 2Money 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 3Web3, 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 4Balance sheets, capital, liquidity, deposit insurance, supervision, lender of last resort.
Open Session 5Post-2008 rules, post-2018 tailoring, Basel, capital/liquidity rules, stress tests, resolution.
Open Session 6T-accounts, money multiplier, real-world frictions, capital limits, simulator and quiz.
Open Session 7Credit unions, NCUA insurance, field of membership, and local VyStar case study.
Open Session 9TBTF, stablecoins vs. banks, starting a bank, and bank-failure scenarios.
Open Session 8Market structure, financial instruments, intermediaries, and direct finance.
Class notes / existing course materialsRisk-return tradeoffs, diversification, stock selection, and class trading tools.
Risk Tolerance ToolGold history, ETFs, futures, drivers, and interactive labs.
Open Session 10Contract specs, margin, P/L, basis, hedge ratios, and case studies.
Open Session 11Share classes, fees, active vs. passive, screening workflow, common pitfalls.
Rate gaps, parity basics, floating vs. fixed rates, and drivers of the U.S. dollar.
Open Session 13Payoffs, Greeks, Black–Scholes intuition, protective puts, collars, and hedging cases.
Mortgage securitization, pass-throughs, agency/non-agency MBS, prepayments, TBA basics, 2008.
Open Session 15 — MBSStudent loans, credit cards, auto ABS, tranches, ratings, safety and liquidity.
Open Session 16 — ABST-bills, CDs, commercial paper, repo, ON RRP, SOFR, safety and liquidity.
Open Session 17Current developments selected during the semester.
In-class current topicsReturn to the crypto module for blockchain, Bitcoin and Ethereum discussion.
Open Crypto / Blockchain ModulePersonal-finance framework; not on the final.
Open investment.htmlPlain-English overview of IRA types; informational only.
Open ira.html