Credit card debt management board game

• US 6,962,336 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2003
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta, Inc. (Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions)
• Original Assignee: Mechel Glass
• Inventors: Glass, Mechel
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendiratta, Vishu K.
• Application Number:
  US10/374,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20040164490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 273/256, 273/278
• US Class Current: 273/256
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/0441 with a written message or sentence, e.g. chance or instruction cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00066 with play money with real coins or paper money A63F2250/13
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00072 played along an endless track, e.g. monopoly A63F3/00069 takes precedence

Abstract

A board game comprising a board with a path having spaces thereon, wherein the path is navigated around the board by rolling dice, with the purpose being to teach the management and elimination of credit card debt. The game incorporates real life situations requiring the increase of debt due to both external events and personal choices, and further permits the use of discretionary income to decrease credit card debt, and subsequently the accumulation of wealth.

Claims

1. A game for teaching management of credit card debt comprising:

a board with at least one path thereon, said path having spaces thereon that describe actions to be undertaken by a player of said game, wherein said actions comprise payment of credit card interest and payment of credit card late fees, and wherein a plurality of spaces comprise receipt of disposable income;

cards describing debt required to be undertaken by said player;

cards describing choices between alternative game management activities to be taken by said player, wherein one of said alternative choices comprises payment of credit card late fees;

game piece means for distinguishing between players and for marking each of said players'"'"' current position on said path;

means for determining movement of said game piece;

means for keeping score; and

means for determining

different starting amounts of credit card debt and cash, wherein players randomly determine said amounts of credit card debt and cash for each said player to begin said game,

whereby said game allows decision-making and thus teaches said players methods of control and elimination of their own real credit card debt.

2. The game of claim 1, further comprising variant pathways that said players may select to follow.

3. The game of claim 1, wherein said means for determining movement of said game piece is a pair of dice.

4. The game of claim 1, wherein said game management activities are selected from the group consisting of asset accumulation, asset reduction, debt accumulation, debt reduction, re-rolling dice, receiving income, losing income, spending, moving to another space, doing nothing, and taking a new card.

5. The game of claim 4, wherein said spending comprises payment of expenses first from cash on hand, and only after said cash on hand has been expended, by incurring additional credit card debt.

6. The game of claim 1, wherein said means for determining movement of said game piece is an electronic counter capable of generating a randomly selected number.

7. The game of claim 1, wherein said means for keeping score is a scorecard upon which scores may be written.

8. The game of claim 7, wherein said scorecard has thereon a location for listing credit card debt and investment values.

9. The game of claim 1, wherein said credit card late fees are only required to be paid if said player has credit card debt acquired during said game.

10. A method for teaching management of credit card debt comprising the steps of:

a) providing a game having alternative path choices required to be made by players of said game, wherein said game comprises;

a board with at least one path thereon, said path having spaces thereon that describe actions to be undertaken by a player of said game, wherein said actions comprise payment of credit card interest and payment of credit card late fees, and wherein a plurality of spaces comprise receipt of disposable income;

cards describing debt required to be undertaken by said player;

cards describing choices between alternative game management activities to be taken by said player, wherein at least one of said alternative game management activity choices comprises payment of credit card late fees;

game piece means for distinguishing between players and for marking each of said players'"'"' current position on said path;

means for determining movement of said game piece; and

means for keeping score, wherein said alternative path choices comprise selection between a shorter high risk/high reward path and a longer moderate risk/reward path, and wherein players start the game with different amounts of credit card debt and different amounts of cash, and wherein said different amounts of credit card debt and said different amounts of cash are randomly determined by roll of a die;

b) joining said players to play said game; and

c) playing said game.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said alternative game management activity choices are whether to increase credit card debt or to use cash on hand to pay expenses.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of rolling a pair of dice to advance along a path marked on a game board.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of selecting activity cards in response to instructions located on spaces on said path, and carrying out said instructions.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of keeping score of credit card debt and investment values.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the winner among said players is the first to achieve zero credit card balance and a selected investment sheet value.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein players must completely eliminate their credit card debt to win the game.

17. A method for learning to manage credit card debt comprising the steps of:

a) starting a game wherein each player has cash assets and credit card debt randomly determined, wherein said game comprises a board, cards, a path, means for determining movement of a game piece arid means for keeping score, and wherein said random determination of assets and credit card debt is simultaneous;

b) playing said game by requiring choices between randomly selected spending or investment alternatives; and

c) winning said gain by completely eliminating credit card debt.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of playing said game by requiring choices betveen randomly selected spending or investment alternatives, further comprises a prohibition against making an investment exceeding funds on hand and a prohibition against making an investment if credit card debt exceeds a selected level.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

rolling a die for said each player to determine a level of cash and a level of credit card debt that said each player will have to begin said game.