This guide is for BUSI 489 Week 1 Mini-Case Assignment 1, start to submission. A short textbook mini-case on a financial planning content area, answered with the week's reading.
BUSI 489 is Capstone in Financial Planning, 3 credit hours, in Liberty University's BS in Business Administration. Canvas and the course guide file print the code as BUSI489; it is the same course.
| Course | BUSI 489 Capstone in Financial Planning |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 1 |
| Points | 25 points |
| Length | Not set in the guide; follow the mini-case |
| Sources | The textbooks |
| Faith integration | Not required by the guide |
| Format | As instructed |
What BUSI 489 Week 1 Mini-Case Assignment 1 asks for
There are 6 short mini-case assignments from the textbook covering ethics, financial situation analysis, taxes, insurance, investments, retirement and estate planning. Mini-Case 1 is due in Module/Week 1 with Grable chapters 1 to 3 and 15 and Lytton chapters 1, 2 and 4 to 8 and appendix B. Worth 25 points.
Where it fits in BUSI 489
In the published schedule, Mini-Case Assignment 1 is one of 16 graded written assignments in BUSI 489. It is the first written assignment in the course; the next is Week 1 Targeted Financial Plan 1. The same week also has Targeted Financial Plan 1, so plan the week's writing together.
How BUSI 489 Week 1 Mini-Case Assignment 1 is graded
Liberty grades Mini-Case Assignment 1 with the rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas, worth 25 points in the published guide. That is about 2% of the course's 1,010 points. Read the rubric first. Each row is a criterion, and the wording of the highest column is the closest thing you have to a model answer.
Course grades in BUSI 489 use Liberty's point scale: an A is 900 to 1010 points of the course total. Missing the length or source minimum usually costs points on several rows at once, which is why the checklist below starts with them.
Timing in the published guide: Each course module/week (except Module/Week 1) begins on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Monday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday. Check the due dates in your Canvas section, which govern.
Short assignments are graded on precision: a correct, specific answer with the reasoning shown earns full credit more reliably than a long one.
The BUSI 489 Week 1 method, step by step
Set up the data before the write-up
Work through the Mini-Case Assignment 1 calculations or software steps first and save the output. The written part interprets those numbers, so they have to be right before you explain them.
Show the method
Say which method, formula or test you used and why it fits the question. Graders want to see that the choice was deliberate.
Report the results plainly
Give the key figures in a labeled table and mention each in the text.
Interpret in the context of the question
Explain what the results mean for the decision or question in BUSI 489, in plain terms. The interpretation is where the analysis points are earned.
Name the limits
State what the analysis cannot tell you: assumptions, data limits, or what would change the answer.
Submit the files the guide asks for
Check which files Canvas expects (spreadsheet, output, written document) and that each is complete and labeled (Not set in the guide; follow the mini-case).
Restate only the facts that matter, answer each question in order, and show any calculation step by step. Name the professional standard you are applying, such as the CFP Board's fiduciary duty, rather than a general idea of fairness.
A structure for BUSI 489 Week 1 Mini-Case Assignment 1
Word targets are planning numbers for about 700 words of body text, set by the length in the guide; the rubric decides where to spend more.
| Section | What it must do | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Facts | The relevant client facts. | ~140 words |
| Analysis | Each question answered with figures. | ~420 words |
| Recommendation | A clear answer. | ~140 words |
A topic angle that works
The first chapters cover the planning process and professional standards, so if this mini-case concerns ethics, identify the duty at stake (such as acting in the client's best interest or disclosing conflicts) and what the planner must do.
Model paragraph with notes
An original paragraph written by our desk to show the register that earns full rubric credit. It is study material: learn the moves, then write your own.
Recommending the variable annuity because it pays the planner a higher commission, when a lower-cost fund meets the client's goal equally well, breaches the fiduciary duty to place the client's interests first. The planner must disclose the conflict and recommend the option that best serves the client, documenting why.
- The duty.
- The breach.
- The required action.
Mistakes that cost points on BUSI 489 Week 1
- Vague ethics.
- No standard named.
- Missing questions.
Checklist before you submit
- Length: Not set in the guide; follow the mini-case
- Sources: The textbooks
- Calculations checked and output saved
- Every table and figure referred to in the text
- Each rubric row read against the section that answers it
Questions students ask
How many mini-cases are in BUSI 489?
Six, worth 25 points each.
How many points is BUSI 489 Week 1 Mini-Case Assignment 1 worth?
25 points in Liberty's published course guide for BUSI 489, out of a course total of 1,010 points (about 2% of the grade). The rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas shows how those points are divided.
Is BUSI 489 Week 1 the same in every section of BUSI 489?
This guide follows Liberty's published course guide for BUSI 489. Liberty notes that course content can change from term to term, so if your Canvas section shows different instructions, a different week or different points, follow Canvas and your instructor.
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