Financial Literacy

New! Winter 2024 Edition of the Business and Economics Review

By February 20th 2024

Winter 2024 Business and Economics ReviewWhat happens during the busy fall semester here in the Business and Economics Department? A lot!

This issue includes stories about the screening and discussion of the documentary “Beyond Zero,” the visit of Devone McCleod ’13 as our Executive in Residence, a Board of Visitors meeting supplemented by the return of recently-graduated CBE Fellows, student-faculty research funded through a new endowment honoring the memory of Steve Casler, new faculty arriving in Quigley, career fairs, career guidance from students and returning alumni, and our Financial Literacy winners.

Click here to download a .pdf version of our Winter 2024 issue

Zingale Financial Literacy Winners the Best in Competition History

By December 19th 2023

The 2023 CBE competition saw three accomplished students enter financial plans that were not only technically correct, but realistic plans for life after graduation.  Three seniors led this years event winning prize money to help them get started on their next  adventure:

1st Place:  Reece Smith, $2,500

2nd Place:  Andrew Strobel, $1,500

3rd Place: Ochirsaikhan Davaajambal, $1,000

The next step for Zingale Financial Literacy winners is participation in the annual Pittsburgh Collegiate Financial Plan Competition scheduled for April 2024.  

The Financial Literacy Challenge, sponsored by Lance and Karen Zingale, is a competition in which students develop and submit a personal financial budget and investing plan appropriate for life after graduation.

Our special thanks to Lance and Karen Zingale for their generous support of this important program for Allegheny College students.

The Zingale Financial Literacy Challenge  is an event in which students develop a personal financial budget and investing plan appropriate for a recent college graduate. They can then choose to earn a certificate, academic credit and/or compete in the Challenge for cash prizes and trophies awarded to student winners.The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics (CBE) prepares Allegheny College students to succeed in a diverse, global economy.

Financial Literacy & Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) Certification

By October 5th 2021

Gene & the Wealth Management Club Board from left: Kylie Kasavage ‘23, Gene Natali, Morgan Douglas ’23, Jacob Dukman ‘22, Morgan Libell ’22

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics and Wealth Management Club welcomed back Gene Natali ’01 on Thursday, October 5 in Quigley Auditorium. He is the CEO and co-founder of the fintech company, Troutwood. Prior to starting Troutwood, Gene spent 17-years working with large retirement plans and institutional investors.

He is an award-winning author (The Missing Semester Series) who has key-noted investment and education conferences across the country and spoken in over 500 high school and college classrooms. He is a part-time lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh where he teaches Personal Finance. Gene is a Chartered Financial Analyst, holds an MBA with a concentration in finance from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in economics from Allegheny College.

His second book in the Missing Semester series addresses the most overlooked subject in financial-literacy education-investing. Primarily addressing students and recent graduates, its lessons are not laden with jargon; its focus is topics and choices that apply to most young people, not just a few, and not those relevant only late in life. The Missing Second Semester presents a call to action: You’re in charge. Understand the opportunity, and make the choices.

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics (CBE) prepares Allegheny College students to succeed in a diverse, global economy. The Lunchtime Learning Lecture Series provides students with opportunities to gain valuable information on topics and industries related to internships and careers. The Allegheny College Wealth Management Club (ACWMC) is designed to create a structured educational environment for the Allegheny community. The primary purpose of the club is to offer participants a collaborative environment in which they can openly discuss and learn about topics relating to personal finance. ACWMC organizes seminars, panels, and excursions on issues related to investments, real estate, and credit.

The Wealth Management Club provides a clear understanding of personalized finance

By April 22nd 2021

Allegheny College Wealth Management ClubDuring the 2020-2021 school year, the Allegheny College Wealth Management Club was focused on gaining new members. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions in place, the club was unable to participate in many events, and instead turned to planning for the 2021-2022 school year. Current President Rachel Tobler ‘21 and Vice President Alex Abadi ‘21 worked on spreading the news about the club, whose purpose is to provide a simple and clearer understanding of personalized finance and the instruments that it uses.

This involves attending CFA Society events, workshops on personal finance, and any other events members want to see involving investment and personal budgeting. At the end of the spring semester, the officers have been working with incoming President Morgan Libell ‘22 and Vice President Kevin Lee ‘23 to further increase membership and restart regular club meetings and events in the fall. Promotional campaigns, expansion of the board, and event planning have been the focus this year to get the Wealth Management Club running and successful in the fall of 2021!

Interested students can contact Morgan Libell or Kevin Lee.

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics attracts Allegheny’s next generation of business innovators and entrepreneurs by providing a host of co-curricular activities that connect with and deepen their classroom experiences. The Wealth Management Club is designed to give students a collaborative environment in which they can openly discuss and learn about topics relating to personal finance. The club will invite guest speakers, use simulations, and perform individual research in order to educate members about personal finance topics and learn how to get a head start on managing their own money.

Allegheny College Meets the Bloomberg Trading Challenge

By June 8th 2020

Wealth Management Club members Trevor Day ‘20, Rafael Balanquet ‘20, and John Nagel ‘20 teamed up to enter the 2020 Bloomberg Trading Challenge.  Although the Challenge was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team had a fantastic run, ranking 4th on the leaderboard at the end of week 5.  Michael Michaelides, Assistant Professor of Economics and Faculty Advisor to the club, commented, “this performance is impressive, given that a couple of hundred teams and universities participate in this challenge.”

Student Trevor Day ’20 appreciated this opportunity, sharing these thoughts:

“I took on the Bloomberg Trading Challenge because it was something that interested me, but I’ve really begun to see the value of it as potential employers keep asking me questions about the trading challenge, the strategies I used, and Bloomberg Market Concepts. In the current job market, it is an ace up my sleeve that is distinguishing me as a job candidate.”

The Bloomberg Trading Challenge, How It Works

Students create 3-5 member portfolio teams and develop a strategy based on their own market assumptions. The team uses the Bloomberg Terminal to define the assumptions, develop a return-generating strategy, and execute trades over a closed network. The team has $1 million notional amount to invest across any number of securities. The team that generates the highest return relative to a pre-selected benchmark and presents the best investment methodology at the end of the Challenge is the winning team.

Allegheny College Wealth Management Club

The Wealth Management Club is designed to be a collaborative environment in which students can openly discuss and learn about topics relating to personal finance. The club invites guest speakers, uses simulations, and performs individual research in order to educate members about personal finance topics and learn how to get a head start on managing their own money.

For more information, visit The Bloomberg Lab at Allegheny College.

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics attracts Allegheny’s next generation of business innovators and entrepreneurs by providing a host of co-curricular activities that connect with and deepen their classroom experiences.

Congratulations to Jerfenson Cerda Mejia and Sharlyne Cabral!

By May 21st 2020

The 2019 Financial Literacy Challenge winners circle – see more photos of the Challenge here; The next challenge will be held on December 5, 2020

Congratulations to Jerfenson Cerda Mejia and Sharlyne Cabral who placed in the top ten in the 2020 CFA Society of Pittsburgh Financial Plan Competition!  These two first prize winners in this year’s Financial Literacy Competition in December went on to compete with 200 students from colleges and universities throughout Pennsylvania!

The CFA Society of Pittsburgh Collegiate Personal Financial Planning Competition is available to students from Pennsylvania’s academic institutions. Each student enters a financial plan that serves as a road map to help students plan for and achieve their financial goals. Through this program, the CFA Society of Pittsburgh hopes to help students take ownership of their financial future.

Gene Natali, CFA, CEO & Cofounder of Troutwood commented, “This year’s CFASP collegiate financial plan competition was extremely difficult to grade.  This is because ALL of the financial plans submitted were exceptional!  Every student that went through this effort will likely be better off because of it. Congratulations Jerfenson and Sharlyne on a job well done.  Now go do it!”

Jerfenson and Sharlyne were winners in the December 2019 Financial Literacy Challenge.  The Financial Literacy Challenge is a competition in which students develop and present a personal financial budget and investing plan appropriate for life after graduation. The competition is open to all Allegheny students, however participation in the challenge is a mandatory assignment for students taking ECON 010 – Financial Literacy. There are $5,000 in prizes and trophies awarded to student winners. The next competition will be held on December 5, 2020

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics attracts Allegheny’s next generation of business innovators and entrepreneurs by providing a host of co-curricular activities that connect with and deepen their classroom experiences.

 

The Anatomy of a Recession

By January 6th 2020

How close could we be to the next recession —and what should we watch for in the months ahead?

John Kutz ’83
Allegheny College Trustee
Sales Director, Legg Mason

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics will open the spring semester Lunchtime Learning lecture series by welcoming John Kutz ‘83, Sales Director for Legg Mason, who will present Anatomy of a Recession, an exploration of the important questions that can impact everyone’s financial health:

  • How close could we be to the next recession?
  • Will growth hold steady, weaken or pick up by the end of the year?
  • What factors are most important to watch to help keep people on track?

Students of all majors are encouraged to attend on Thursday to widen their appeal as potential job candidates, according to Kutz, “Your ability to understand and be able to discuss intelligently current market conditions can provide you with a competitive edge in your job or internship search.  Employers are seeking job candidates that have a grasp on capital markets and can discuss reasons for possible economic downturns and/or expansionary periods.”

Kutz will discuss capital markets and review where the US economy is relative to a possible recession.  He will introduce a Recession Risk Dashboard and discuss the 12 key variables that tend to foreshadow economic downturn.

John Kutz is a Sales Director for Legg Mason serving the Ohio Valley region. John has been in the investment industry since 1998, and he joined Legg Mason in 2011. Prior to joining Legg Mason, John spent nearly 18 years with Victory Capital Management as Managing Director, Retirement Plan Services.

John received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Allegheny College and an MBA from Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor SM (CMFC®) and a recipient of the SPARK Accredited Retirement Plan Consultant (ARPC) designation. John also was recognized by his clients as a Top DC Wholesaler through the National Association of Plan Advisors’ Top 100 DC Wholesalers list (also known as the “Wingmen”) in 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019.

John and his wife, Kathy, have three children, Allison, Maggie and Tim, and they live in Kirtland Hills, OH. In his spare time, John enjoys working out, golfing and biking. John currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Allegheny College.

The Lunchtime Learning Lecture Series provides students with opportunities to gain valuable information on topics and industries related to internships and careers. Speakers often choose one of two broad areas to discuss with students. The first is career oriented, and fits under our CBE CAREERS lunches. The second is issue oriented, and fits under our CBE IDEAS lunches. Both topics enable students to navigate and explore job options, understand the steps necessary to pursue opportunities and how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.

Talking About Money and Taking Control: This Conversation isn’t Important – it’s Imperative

By November 14th 2019

On Thursday, November 21, Gene Natali ’01 will speak on the important consequences of financial choices, particularly those made by students and young professionals.

How can we make wise financial decisions?

Join the Center for Business and Economics for lunch as Mr. Natali provides guidance on how to make better financial decisions and discover the rewards of financial freedom.

Mr. Natali is the CEO and Founder of Troutwood, a financial technology company focusing on financial empowerment. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Allegheny College and an MBA with a concentration in finance from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst, board member of CFA Society Pittsburgh and part-time lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh.

In 2012 Mr. Natali co-authored an award-winning investment guide titled “The Missing Semester.” This guide provides practical financial advice to high school and college students and has been used in classrooms across the country. The book received the 2013 EIFLE (Excellence in Financial Literacy Education) Book of the Year award by the Institute for Financial Literacy. Mr. Natali regularly speaks in High School and College classrooms, has presented and key-noted various investment and education conferences, and has helped design and has led teacher and trustee training.

The Lunchtime Learning Speaker Series provides students with opportunities to gain valuable information on topics and industries related to internships and careers in business and economics. 

New for 2019! The Financial Literacy Challenge Inaugural Event

By July 8th 2019

The Financial Literacy Challenge Inaugural Event will be held on Saturday, December 7

The Financial Literacy Challenge, hosted by the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics, will be an intercollegiate competition in which students develop and present a personal financial budget and investing plan appropriate for a recent college graduate. There will be $5,000 in prizes and trophies awarded to student winners.

How it works

The competition will be open to all Allegheny students, however participation in the challenge will be a mandatory assignment for students taking ECON 010 – Financial Literacy.  Each student or student team will give a 15 minute presentation which will contain:

  • A personal budget that addresses a likely salary that will include tax withholding and monthly and annual living expenses for a recent college graduate,
  • The impact of the rate of inflation,
  • An investment strategy that shows an understanding of the return characteristics of different asset classes,
  • An asset allocation that fits the student’s age as well as investment objectives,
  • A rationale of why the students chose their specific investments,
  • A growth profile that shows expected asset growth in 5, 10, 15 & 20 years.

A panel of six judges consisting of Allegheny alumni and local investment professionals experienced in wealth management will be assembled to serve as judges.

Students can look forward to more information when they return in the fall, alumni and friends of the college can feel free to email cbe@allegheny.edu.