Alexis Anderson
Staff Writer
The Jackson State University College of Business kicked off its Global Entrepreneurship Week on Nov. 18. with discussions on money management and financial education.
As a part of these activities, the Department of Entrepreneurship & Professional Development held the 12th Annual Personal Money Management Financial Education Seminar to encourage students to protect their financial future by saving for both goals and emergencies on Nov. 19.
Theodore “Ted” Daniels, was the guest presenter at the seminar. Daniels, the founder and president of the Security for Financial Education and Professional Development, Inc. (SFEPD) discussed how planning and achieving management skills can be the cornerstone of a student’s financial future.
“People should be exposed to the fundamentals and strategies of personal financial management. If individuals gain the knowledge of saving, credit, investing, retirement, planning, and other personal matters; they will be able to make informed decisions on management their assets,” said Daniels.
He added: “At all times, you need to keep in mind that you use your financial resources to sustain and create wealth for yourself. People can mess themselves up if they don’t have the financial literacy to make tough but smart financial decisions. If you take the initiative to learn and plan wisely, you will lessen the financial burdens.”
Daniels discussed several topics regarding money management: such as Ways to Invest in Stocks, retirement benefits, Allocation Models, credit scores, and the consequences of not paying student loans and credit card payments.
Daniels talked about the advantages of investing in stocks. He explained that shareholders are entitled to any benefits that they might be aware of. The stock market has returned an average annual rate greater than 10%. Shareholders can take part in participating in proxy voting, reading all company financial reports and listening to conference calls. Shareholders also have the benefit of voting on topics such as management, changes in company policy and executive compensation.
“In my opinion, college students are the best investors. If you are serious about having financial freedom, you need to take your finances seriously while in college. Investing and making your money “work” for you is one of the things you can do with your money,” said Daniels.
The seminar also presented ways to maintain a good credit score. Daniels explained the many benefits of having a good credit score, like enjoying a lower interest rate on your credit cards and loans. A good credit score also allows you to save money on insurance and security deposits on new utilities and cell phone service. It’s all about how you use credit that lets you to keep a good score.
He also gave students tips on how to maintain a good credit score:
• Know what goes into a good credit score
• Pay your bills on time
• Keep your credit card balances low
• Don’t close your applications for new credit
• Watch your credit report
Mary White, chairperson of the Department of Entrepreneurship & Professional Development believes the seminar was informative for students.
“We always to look forward to Mr. Daniels visiting Jackson State every year to talk to students. He brings materials for students to obtain and process, and he’s a great person to seek mentorship when it comes to life decisions such as money management. I think that it’s extremely important that students know how to take care of their finances because it will be a reality check once they graduate from college. We want them to know the importance of saving and also paying off debt,” said White.
Many of the students also believe that attending the seminar was helpful toward their future.
Brian Pigott, a junior economics major from Jackson, Miss., enjoyed learning about the advantages of stock investment and saving.
“I like the overall investment planning. It was interesting to hear Mr. Daniels talk about what is and what isn’t an acceptable credit score. My favorite part of the seminar was listening to the advantages of the retirement benefits,” said Pigott.
Tiffany Jiles, a senior marketing major from Jackson, Miss., appreciated the feedback she received about maintaining good credit and paying off debt.
“As a student, there was a lot information that I didn’t know about in handling finances but I am confident after the seminar that I can secure independence,” said Jiles.
