Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Identify a situation in which you would need to discount cash flows. Determine the value of future cash flows. Calculate your discount rate. Figure out the number of compounding periods.

Answer: Discounted cash flow (DCF) calculations are used to adjust the value of money received in the future. In order to calculate DCFs, you will need to identify a situation in which money will be received at a later date or dates in one or more installments. DCFs are commonly used for things like investments in securities or companies that will provide cash flows over a number of years. Alternately, a business might use DCFs to estimate the return from an investment in production equipment, for example. In order to calculate DCFs, you will need a definable set of future cash flows and know the date(s) that you will receive those cash flows. To calculate the present value of future cash flows, you will first need to know their future values. With fixed payments like annuities or bond coupon payments, these cash flows are set in stone; however, with cash flows from company operations or project returns you will need to estimate future cash flows, which is an entire calculation in itself. While it may seem that you could just project current growth trends over the next set of years, the proper calculation of future cash flows will involve much more.  For example, you might include industry trends, market conditions, and operational developments in cash flow projections for a company. Even then it may not be even close to accurate when the cash flows actually arrive.  For simplicity, though, let's say you are considering an investment that will return you a set amount at the end each year for three years. Specifically, you will receive $1,000 the first year, $2,000 the second year, and $3,000 the third year. The investment costs $5,000 to buy, and you want to know if it is a good investment based on the present value of the money you will receive. The discount rate is used to "discount" the future cash flow value back to its present value. The discount rate, sometimes also called the personal rate of return, represents the amount that is "lost" each year due to inflation and missed investment opportunities. You might choose to use the return on a safe investment, plus a risk premium.  For example, imagine that instead of investing in the investment providing future cash flows, you could invest your money in treasuries earning a guaranteed return of 2 percent per year. In addition, you expect to be compensated for taking the risk of loss of your money, say a risk premium of 7 percent. Your discount rate would be the sum of these two figures, which is 9 percent. This represents the rate of return you would earn by investing your money elsewhere, such as in the stock market. The only other variable you'll need once you have the discount rate and cash flow future values is the dates at which those cash flows will be received. This should be pretty self-explanatory if you've purchased an investment, have a set of structured payouts, or have created a model for a company's future cash flows; however, make sure to clearly record the cash flows with their associated years. Creating a chart may help you organize your ideas. For example, you might organize the example payouts as follows:  Year 1: $1,000 Year 2: $2,000 Year 3: $3,000


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Ignore the 1858 patent year. Ignore the 1908 patent date. Ignore the mold number on the jar.

Answer: Ball mason jars were produced for many years with the year 1858 printed on them, but this is no indication of the age of jar itself. Rather, 1858 is the year that John Mason was granted a patent for his mason jar design, and the Ball company used this patent year on many jars. This was another patent date that was printed on many mason jars, and that has no bearing on the year of production. In fact, Ball used this patent date on their jars well into the 1930s, so this year cannot be used to accurately date a Ball jar. Many Ball mason jars have a number printed on the bottom of the jar, but this is a mold number that does not indicate the year of production. Rather, the mold number tells you where the jar was positioned on the glass-making machine that was used to produce it. Mold numbers are generally a number between zero and 15, and they’ll sometimes have a letter included as well.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Read the bible passage aloud. Take notes on the passage. Read secondary literature about the passage. Create an outline for the essay.

Answer:
Listen to each word in the passage. Pay attention to each verse. Take your time and read the passage a few times to yourself and aloud. You may also want to read the passage from a number of different translations aloud so you get a better sense of it. Though you will choose only one translation of the passage for the exegesis, it doesn't hurt to look at other translations. Go through the passage and write down any words you do not understand or recognize. Look them up and think about their meaning in the context of the passage.  You should also consider the grammar and syntax of the passage. Notice the structure of the sentences, the tenses of the verbs, as well as the phrases and clauses used. For example, you may circle words like "sow," "root," and "soil" in the passage because you think they are important. You may also note that the passage ends with "Whoever has ears, let them hear," which is the standard refrain for a parable in the Bible. You are encouraged to use secondary sources for the exegesis, such as theological articles and commentaries in journals or books. You can also use a Biblical dictionary as a source. Use a theological library or online theological journals to find sources about the passage. You can also look for articles, essays, and commentaries that discuss the literary genre of the passage as well as any themes or ideas that you notice in the passage. Before you dive into the writing, make an outline for the essay that is broken into five sections. Make sure you have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion for the essay. You may follow an outline like:  Section 1:Introduction Section 2: Commentary on the passage Section 3: Interpretation of the passage Section 4: Conclusion Section 5: Bibliography