This course provides an introduction to the valuation of cash flows. Topics include: compound interest functions; valuation of annuities certain; loans repayable by instalments; comparison of value and yield of cash flow transactions; valuation of fixed interest securities, with and without tax on interest and capital gains; duration and volatility of securities; introduction to concept of immunisation and matching; consumer credit contracts.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Define and describe the use of cash flow models, simple and compound rates of interest and discount as well as compare and distinguish between nominal and effective rates of interest and discount;
2. Describe various types of annuities and perpetuities and use them to solve financial transaction problems;
3. Describe equations of value and various tools like linear interpolation & annuity tables;
4. Compare capital budgeting decision tools like Net Present Values, Internal Rates of Return and Discounted Payback Periods;
5. Analyse basic fixed interest financial transactions like Loan Valuation, Fixed Interest securities (eg. Bonds) and employ the skills developed in this course to evaluate such transactions. Incorporate the effects of taxation on such financial transactions;
6. Explain arbitrage and its use in the valuation of forward contracts, including employing term structure of interest rates to calculate forward and spot rates; and
7. Define interest rate risk in terms of duration and convexity of fixed interest products, using this to define immunisation and assess its use in mitigating interest rate risk.

Research-Led Teaching

This course covers the relevant parts of the Actuaries Institute syllabus, pertaining to subject CM1. Wherever possible the examples used in this course will reflect real-world situations to emphasize the use of the techniques covered.

Examination Material or equipment

Due to the impacts of COVID-19, the final exam will likely be held as a take-home exam with limited timeframes and using the Proctorio online invigilation software. Examination materials and conditions will be notified to all students via wattle and the examinations office.

Required Resources

All course notes and materials will be provided via Wattle. You will need access to a calculator to complete the exercises required for this course.

You will need access to a computer to get the materials necessary for the course. We will use MS Excel in this course. Some classwork and tutorial questions and solutions will be illustrated using MS Excel. Learning guides and short video lectures will be made available on wattle for students to learn the application of the concepts taught in this course. Some assignment questions will require the use of MS Excel or a spreadsheet program.

Although there are no prescribed textbooks for this course, various supplementary material can enhance student learning.

Supplementary Reading (Not Compulsory)

Stephen Garrett (2013) An Introduction to the Mathematics of Finance, Second Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann. This book is available as an online textbook on the ANU Library page: Mathematics of Finance in ANU Library. You can download individual chapters for your personal use. Please ensure you follow the ANU guidelines on copyright issues.

The following supplementary readings may be of interest if you have access to them (they are typically used for the equivalent professional association exam) but are not available on the ANU Library:

·        Samuel A. Broverman (1996) Mathematics of Investment and Credit, Fifth Edition, Actex Publications, Inc.: Winsted, Connecticut. ISBN: 978-1566987677

·        J.J. McCutcheon and W.F. Scott (1986) An Introduction to the Mathematics of Finance, published for the Institute of Actuaries and Faculty of Actuaries by Heinemann

·        Formula and Tables for Actuarial Examinations, 2002, ACTED Australia

·        Course Material for CT1: Financial Mathematics, ACTED Australia

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups
• Zoom consultations. Times and instructions will be advised on wattle

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Assessment Requirements

As a further academic integrity control, students may be selected for a 15-minute individual oral examination of their written assessment submissions.

Any student identified, either during the current semester or in retrospect, as having used ghostwriting services will be investigated under the University’s Academic Misconduct Rule.

Referencing Requirements

Please see the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. For a more interactive guide on what this is all about, please see http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/.

Exemption from Actuarial Professional examination

This course along with Life Contingencies (STAT3037) makes up for the CM1 examination of the Actuaries Institute. More details regarding the grades required for exemption and the procedure to follow is detailed on this webpage: Actuaries Institute requirements.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Cash-flow models. Simple and compound interest. Accumulated and present values.
2	Nominal and effective rates of interest and discount. Force of interest.
3	Introduction to annuities and their valuation.
4	Perpetuities. Continuous, increasing, decreasing and indexed annuities.	Quiz 1 via Wattle
5	Equations of value. Introduction to linear interpolation and annuity tables. Dealing with inflation.
6	Loan valuation and payments. Capital budgeting including NPV, IRR and DPP.	Quiz 2 via Wattle
7	Measuring investment performance. TWRR and MWRR.
8	Valuation of fixed interest securities, with and without tax on interest and capital gains.
9	Calculating yields. Allowing for callable features and inflation. Extending to property and share valuation.
10	Yield curve and term structure of interest rates. Calculating forward and spot rates.
11	Interest rate risk: duration, effective duration and convexity. Conditions for and determination of immunisation.	Assignment via Wattle
12	Immunisation exercises and revision

Tutorial Registration

Please see Wattle for tutors’ information. Tutorial signup for this course will be done via the Wattle website. Detailed information about signup times will be provided on Wattle. This semester tutorials will be available as pre-recorded videos. This signup is to manage groups for the assessment tasks and thus signing up in a tutorial group is essential. When tutorials are available for enrolment, follow these steps:

1. Log on to Wattle, and go to the course site.

2. Click on the link “Tutorial enrolment”

3. On the right of the screen, click on the tab “Become Member of ……” for the tutorial class you wish to enter.

4. Confirm your choice

If you need to change your enrolment, you will be able to do so by clicking on the tab “Leave group…” and then re-enrol in another group. You will not be able to enrol in groups that have reached their maximum number. Please note that enrolment in ISIS must be finalised for you to have access to Wattle.”

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Quiz 1	5 %	21/08/2020	*	1
Quiz 2	5 %	04/09/2020	*	2
Assignment	20 %	22/10/2020	06/11/2020	1,2,3,4,5
Final Exam	70 %	*	03/12/2020	1,2,3,4,5,6,7

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Integrity . In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Examination(s)

The final assessment will be held in the exam period with details to be advised no later than teaching week 10 of the semester.

Any student identified, either during the current semester or in retrospect, as having used ghostwriting services will be investigated under the University’s Academic Misconduct Rule.

Assessment Task 1

Quiz 1

Quiz 1 will be provided (5 days before the due date) on the course Wattle page. This quiz covers the material from the first two weeks of the course. Students are expected to complete this quiz individually. Students will get 45 minutes and a single attempt to complete this quiz. This quiz is worth 5% of your overall grade and is not redeemable. Under no circumstances will you be able to attempt the quiz outside of the allocated time period. Announcements will be made on the Wattle course site regarding the availability of the quiz by the end of Week 3.

Assessment Task 2

Quiz 2

Quiz 2 will be provided (5 days before the due date) on the course Wattle page. This quiz covers the material from week three to week five of the course. Students are expected to complete this quiz individually. Students will get 60 minutes and a single attempt to complete this quiz. This quiz is worth 5% of your overall grade and is not redeemable. Under no circumstances will you be able to attempt the quiz outside of the allocated time period. Announcements will be made on the Wattle course site regarding the availability of the quiz by the end of Week 5.

Assessment Task 3

Assignment

Assignment questions will be provided to all students no less than two weeks before the due date on the course Wattle page. The assignment is designed to assess the students’ application of the various topics covered in this course, up to and including the material in week 9. Students are expected to complete this assignment individually. Completing this assignment will require the use of MS Excel. More details will be provided during the lectures and on Wattle by the end of Week 8.

Assessment Task 4

Final Exam

The final assessment will be held in the exam period with details to be advised no later than teaching week 10 of the semester. This is a compulsory piece of assessment to be held during the end of the semester examination period. Permitted materials and other conditions for the Final Examination will be discussed with students and the outcome advised on Wattle. Due to the impacts of COVID-19, the final exam will likely be held as a take-home exam with limited timeframes and using the Proctorio online invigilation software. Examination materials and conditions will be notified to all students via wattle and the examinations office. Centrally scheduled examinations through Examinations, Graduations & Prizes will be timetabled prior to the examination period. Please check ANU Timetabling for further information using the link: Exams Timetable.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

This course may not require the students to use Turnitin for the assignment submission. The assignment is to be submitted online on Wattle at the pre-specified location. You must attach an Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of the tasks completed for your records.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension will be penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be returned via Wattle.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Assignments may not be resubmitted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students