Playing Tips & FAQs
These Tips will enhance your experience while playing IMPACT The Money Mastery Game. You can download and print Game Playing Tips to refer to as you play the game.
Following the Tips, find answers about playing the game in the FAQ section.
Need more Score Sheets? Download Score Sheets here.
We welcome your own suggestions and questions in the Comments section near the bottom of this page.
The following tips will enhance your playing experience. You can download this page as a PDF.
Game Playing Tips
● IMPACT The Money Mastery Game® is an ongoing, perpetual game, players can keep their Score
Sheet and resume playing the next game from where they previously ended.
● Once a player reads a card aloud, playing can resume – other players don’t need to wait while another player is deciding on a drawn card, fi lling in their Score Sheet, or calculating PAYDAY.
● FIN Target and Reserve Fund Target are REFERENCES ONLY. This is the amount you are striving
to accumulate throughout the game.
● FWP score is vital to the game. When a player has fewer FWPs, more risks may occur, whereas
the greater the FWPs, more opportunities may be available. Many cards in the game allow a player
to act only if they have a certain number of FWPs; or affect the value of an investment opportunity;
or determine if a player must pay for something or not.
● Each player’s Credit Limit is determined by FWPs. A player may only borrow $1,000 for every
FWP earned. Ex: 15 FWPs=$15,000. MINIMUM 15 FWPs to qualify for Credit.
● Any funds used from the FIN account incur a 10% penalty on the balance before deductions. Record in 10% penalty box for PAYDAY.
● A player may reduce or eliminate their debt balances at any time during the game, prior to a PAYDAY.
● Funds can be transferred between accounts at any time during the game.
● All businesses, stocks, bonds, commodities, collectibles, real estate and other income sources are
recorded on the back side of the Score Sheet in the corresponding area. Record any debt and/or
income associated with the investment in the corresponding area.
● Minimum down payments for investments may ONLY be deducted from funds in account balances
in the Beginner phase of the game. Credit cannot be used.
● During the game, you may be required to adjust interest rates for debt or investments. Adjust ALL
areas in parentheses for debt on both sections of the Score Sheet and ALL areas for investment
account balances. Do NOT change existing debt rates for real estate or businesses.
● Cards that state “lose” or “pay” or “fi ned” money or FWPs means to DEDUCT it from your Score Sheet.
● Any money awarded from a drawn game card may be allocated to your accounts prior to PAYDAY,
except Bonuses.
● There are several cards that refer to adjusting your job income, expenses, remaining cash, cash fl ow
on investments, etc. These are changes to be made on your Score Sheet, in the appropriate section.
● If a player is in the center square (from a Lose Your Job card) on PAYDAY, the reduced Job Income
and Remaining Monthly Cash is used in calculating the PAYDAY total.
● Miscellaneous expenditures and donations need not be recorded.
● If a player wants to sell an investment, it should be done prior to calculating PAYDAY.
● “Remaining Cash” is ONLY used to calculate PAYDAY. Players may NOT use this “account” for an
expense that may be required from a drawn game card.
● Always round up to the nearest dollar amount when calculating.
● Consider having a “formula” for how you will allocate your funds each PAYDAY.
☛ Ex: 10% to FIN account; 5% to each Miscellaneous Account; $100 to reducing debt; and so on.
☛ Refer to Household Spending Plan in “Your Guide to Great Money©” booklet for ideas.
● If a player runs out of money, they can continue to play. Deductions should be recorded as a negative balance in a designated account.
If you would like to add your own tips and suggestions, please comment below. We appreciate your valuable input.
FAQ while playing the game
Questions about IMPACT
What makes IMPACT different from a game like Monopoly?
While many of us got our first “experience” with money playing Monopoly, it is far from being anything like “real life”, and it does not teach any basic financial concepts and foundational principles about money. IMPACT The Money Mastery Game® picks up where Monopoly left off, in many ways. IMPACT is based on real life scenarios. It allows players to learn those foundational concepts. It also gives players a chance to try their hand at all kinds of investments, such as real estate (like Monopoly), stocks, multiple business models, commodities, precious metals, collectibles, and more. Players get to invest in things they’ve maybe been curious about but didn’t want to take a risk with their real life money. Some players discover they really like investing in stocks, or maybe real estate, or sometimes get the chance to try entrepreneurship with various business types. IMPACT is a simulation of real life scenarios, creating the opportunity to mentally and emotionally experience various scenarios with money. Mastery comes from experience, but that experience can happen in a pretend environment – much like pilots learn to fly and handle crisis flight situations in a simulator first. Check out my example of Captain Scully and his landing in the Hudson River.
Is this like Cash Flow?
Robert Kiyosaki made a huge impact with is Cash Flow board game and continues to to this day. I have huge respect for him. But I felt Cash Flow, while a great game, starts with the assumption that people are already somewhat knowledgeable, with a foundational understanding of financial concepts and principles.
When I had the inspiration to invent IMPACT, I’d had a decade of experience in sitting down with numerous people in my financial services practice, I met with so many people who did not have that knowledge AT ALL. Many had attempted investing in real estate, or stocks, without knowledge or experience, but excitement, and lost a LOT of money simply because they were missing the foundational knowledge. Imagine trying to drive a car without knowing the difference between the brake and accelerator. And, yet, people do this EVERY DAY with their money. Licensed in the financial industry since January 2004, I’ve continued to see the same things year after year.
In my opinion, Cash Flow starts with the assumption that players have taken driver’s ed, and many haven’t. I wanted to create the game for people to learn, and experience that FIRST. I guess you could say, IMPACT is the game you should play before Cash Flow. 😉
I want people to have a fun, non-stressful way to gain experience and knowledge with money. It doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming! Game after game, I watch as players start with the idea that they aren’t good with money, or overwhelmed, intimidated, unsure about how to invest, and by the end of playing for the first couple of hours, they discover their skills and confidence around money! The next game play is ALWAYS different for EVERY player.
What is the youngest age that can play IMPACT?
While IMPACT is an adult game, designed for older teens and up, IMPACT can be played with younger players, with adults playing with them. Much of the “learning” content is geared towards adult topics, kids have a blast with the game part of the game. As long as older players are availble to assist with the calculations and financial choices, kids will enjoy playing. In fact, it can be a great confidence builder for younger players. Ultimately, IMPACT is a strategy game, and can be competitive and FUN. If your kids play Monopoly, they will have fun with IMPACT.
Can anybody play?
See above.
How long does it take to play?
IMPACT does not have a “finish line”, so players decide how long to play, or when to stop. Remember all the times you played Monopoly and left the board out, with all your play money tucked under the edge of the board, and all of your properties lined up, ready to pick up where you left off the next day, or next time you played? With IMPACT, you can stop whenever, the keep your scoresheet, put away the board and cards, but still pick up where you left off, with your scoresheet. You can play with the same scoresheet you start with for as many games as you choose. 10 game, 15, 20, more? Yes. Watch your money grow as you accumulate various assets, learning new concepts along the way. Yes, you CAN Play Your Way To Wealth with IMPACT!
What will I learn?
So much!
How many players per game?
The physical board game is for up to 6 players. You can play with only 2 people, but the power of the game is better with 4 – 6 players. See below for the answer to this question when we host virtual online game plays.
Questions about virtually playing IMPACT online
Do you have to have a computer to play virtually?
Yes.
Can I play on my smartphone?
You could, but because of all that is on screen when playing virtually, playing on a smart phone is very challenging.
What does it cost to play?
There is no cost to play virtually!
How do I join a virtual online game play?
You register 24 hours in advance of the game time through Zoom to secure your spot in the virtual game.
How is the game played online?
Presently, we are using Zoom as the platform for virtually playing IMPACT.
How long does it take to play?
With virtual playing, we have 90 minutes of playing, preceded by 15 minutes for set up, and 15 minutes for recap at the end, for a total of 2 hours. Many times, players choose to stay on longer to play more, or chat with the group of players.
How many players per game?
With the virtual game plays, there is currently a limit of a maximum of 12 players. This allows for the most interaction amongst players and facilitator, for the best player experience.
If I purchase a game, can I still play in a virtual game?
Yes! There will be virtual game times specifically for game owners to play together. Join in on Zoom, with your game set up to play. You roll your own dice, move your own token, draw your own cards, versus the Facilitator doing those things in the alternative virtual game set up. See the Event page for those game times.
I am having problems logging into Zoom to play.
When you register with Zoom to play, you will receive a confirmation email from Zoom, which has a unique link to log in which says Click Here To Join.
Questions while playing IMPACT
How do you win the game?
The game ends when players are ready to stop, or at the end of a pre-determined amount of time (ex: 2 hours). The winner is the player with the most FWPs in that game.
What if I can’t play the entire time, or have to step away for a few minutes?
IMPACT was designed to allow players to step away and the other players to continue taking turns. Most (all) games require players to wait to take a turn until a missing player has taken theirs. Since IMPACT doesn’t have a Finish line, and each player is responsible for tracking their number of turns taken (tracked on the score sheet border), and when it’s time to calculate Payday, there’s no need to wait on a missing player to return.
When I had the inspiration to invent IMPACT, I’d had a decade of experience in sitting down with numerous people in my financial services practice, I met with so many people who did not have that knowledge AT ALL. Many had attempted investing in real estate, or stocks, without knowledge or experience, but excitement, and lost a LOT of money simply because they were missing the foundational knowledge. Imagine trying to drive a car without knowing the difference between the brake and accelerator. And, yet, people do this EVERY DAY with their money. Licensed in the financial industry since January 2004, I’ve continued to see the same things year after year.
In my opinion, Cash Flow starts with the assumption that players have taken driver’s ed, and many haven’t. I wanted to create the game for people to learn, and experience that FIRST. I guess you could say, IMPACT is the game you should play before Cash Flow. 😉
I want people to have a fun, non-stressful way to gain experience and knowledge with money. It doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming! Game after game, I watch as players start with the idea that they aren’t good with money, or overwhelmed, intimidated, unsure about how to invest, and by the end of playing for the first couple of hours, they discover their skills and confidence around money! The next game play is ALWAYS different for EVERY player.
Can a team play together as a group?
Sure. Of course, that makes it a completely different game experience. It is not recommended. If you want to play with multiple players (more than 6 – the number of game tokens), then you can “stack” players on tokens. Send an email for instructions on how to play with “stacking.” Or purchase more game sets. 😉
Where do I put my money to start the game?
All players begin the game with “Starting Funds,” to be distributed between designated accounts on the Score Sheet – FIN account, Reserve Fund account, Debt Balance, and/or Miscellaneous accounts that each player designates/names. Each player decides at the start of the game what to do with the Starting Funds. It is the first financial decision in the game.
What happens if I run out of money during the game?
You continue playing. If you run out money in real life, what do you do? Many cards award money, so if a player runs out, it doesn’t take them out of the game – like in life. You keep going until something changes.
If I draw a card for an investment (real estate, business, stocks, etc.) but can’t act on the opportunity, can I sell it to another player?
Cards can only be sold to another player (in the Beginner phase of IMPACT) IF the card states that it can be sold to another player. The player that draws the card may determine the price to sell to another player.
If I draw an investment card (for real estate, stocks, business, etc.) do I have to invest or buy?
Investments in business, real estate, stocks, or any investment cards in Money Grows or Business As Usual are all OPTIONAL. If a player does not have enough money in their accounts, then they would not be able to invest. If they have the money, then they choose to invest or pass. EVERY CARD THAT HAS A BUY OR INVEST OPPORTUNITY HAS A SELL OPPORTUNITY.
If the card says only I can buy at this price, can someone else sell at that price?
Cards for stocks have a price per share that ONLY the player who drew it gets to act on to invest. Should other players already have that stock on their score sheet, yes, they can sell for the price on the card.
Can I make joint investments with other players?
In the Beginner phase of the game, which typically is many games played, players cannot make joint investments – unless the card specifically states to include other players. The Advanced level of the game does allow for joint investments, as explained in the game’s Instruction Guide.
Should I pay off all my debt first?
It is a personal choice for each player.
What is a FIN #?
FIN is your Financial Independence Number – the amount you should have accumulated to create enough growth to replace your intended income in retirement.
What are FWPs?
Financial Wisdom Points – the foundation of the game.
Why do I need to earn FWPs?
FWPs determine the winner of IMPACT. There are also cards that a player may, or may not act on’ or have to act on, or not, depending on the number of FWPs they’ve accumulated in the game. There are also cards that award money based on a players number of FWPs. For example: you receive $100 for each FWP you have.
How do I get a loan if I want to buy/invest in something when I don’t have enough money?
Loans can be taken based on the number of FWPs a player has. The amount borrowed gets added to a players Debt Balance on their score sheet. In this case, FWPs act as a kind of credit score. Details of how to borrow money are explained in the Instruction Guide.
How do I know if the card I draw is a good investment?
The first consideration, with many card offerings, is if the player has enough money in their score sheet accounts to be able to make the investment. Otherwise, a player should consider the risk of some investments, or the net income of others (cash flow – expenses = net income). Most of the time, if the player has available funds, the “good” investment is a player preference.
Questions after playing IMPACT
How many times can I play IMPACT The Money Mastery Game – virtually, or face to face?
As many times as you want. Every game is different, depending on the other people playing, and the cards that get drawn by a player. Every game will have new experiences and lessons. IMPACT is a perpetual game, designed to be played repeatedly, allowing players to grow their knowledge, their game money, accumulate assets, increase their Financial Wisdom, and “practice” investing without the pain of real-life loss. With IMPACT, you get to Play Your Way To Wealth!
I have erased holes in my score sheet. How can I get a replacement score sheet?
Click here [these will soon be available for download] to download a blank score sheet.
Can I change the “Job” on my score sheet?
Yes. If you have your own IMPACT The Money Mastery Game, you can select a new score sheet, with a new “Job.” There are 24 score sheets with 24 unique “Jobs” included in the game.
If you are playing virtually, you can request a new “Job” score sheet by emailing Cathy@IMPACTtheMoneyMasteryGame.com. Put “New Job Score Sheet” in the Subject Line.
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