right mix of mutual funds for yourself. What to ask of your
financial planner. I’ll give you an example. A simple question
that I ask my basic investment class is, if you are investing
money in your retirement account and you are given three
options: a stock, a bond, and money market fund; how much
of your retirement would you allocate to each of these? I
was amazingly surprised that several of our students would
put much of their wealth into a money market fund, which
is short term; even though retirement is a long-term goal.
It has a huge effect, showing them that the decisions they
make today with respect to your investments impact your
future wealth. Figuring out how to educate them with the
basics, giving them simple ways of identifying the criteria
with which they have to make some investment decisions,
and asking the right questions about risk and return from the
financial planning firm, that’s what we are trying to do with
all of our students.”
When asked how USFSP is prepared to keep up with ever changing technology
and educate their students on topics such as cryptocurrencies and financial
technology (“fintech”) companies, Dean Sundaram replies, “We are bringing in
experts with our business partnerships to speak about the topics and educate
the students. We are very open and encouraging for any company in the fintech
or finance world, or others, to reach out to us. We are constantly looking to
expand our program.”
In addition to superior classwork and lectures, students enrolled in the USFSP
Wealth Management program will get hands-on experience managing a real
stock market portfolio, entrusted with real money. Thanks to USFSP and
supporters and local strategic partners of the College, students are able to take
on this semester-long assignment, showcasing the knowledge they receive
week to week. An advisory committee, made up of individuals from the local
investment industry, will review and provide feedback to students regarding
their portfolios and the decisions they make. This mentorship from established
Florida-based finance companies sets the program apart, and sets students
up for future success by differentiating them from those coming from other
programs.
FLocal Magazine • March 2018 27