Students learn real-world investing
Members of the Finance Club at Utah State University and other schools are learning where to invest by practicing with real money while still in school.
The second annual Utah Investment Club Conference was held on April 15 in the University Inn fifth floor.
Finance/Investment clubs of Northern Utah including Weber State, Brigham Young University and University of Utah were invited to the conference.
At the conference students presented their strategies of where they invested money that was given to their club.
This year, the Utah Investment clubs were each given $50,000 of real money from an investment firm called D.A. Davidson, said Brian Parrott, marketing and public relations officer of USU’s Finance Club.
The clubs are given the money to invest in stocks and shares of companies.
“If the club has been successful in making money, D.A. Davidson takes half and then gives the other half back to the club to do with as they will (scholarships, etc.),” Parrott said.
USU’s club invested in Cisco, Hershey’s, Bed, Bath and Beyond, along with Electronic Arts, which was showing a 15 percent return until it took a big hit, Parrott said.
Kenneth Hansen, a speaker at the meeting, said “get as much experience as you possibly can.”
Hansen, a prominent broker from Cache Valley, told students ways they could make the most money.
Finance Club President Joe Brewer said “[the club] really helped them in their corporate finance class.”
Because of the Finance Club, the class Corporate Finance, was a review session, Brewer said.
He said the club helps bridge the gap not only in the job market but can help you be a better employee.
Most of the students in the Finance Club are, finance and business majors, but members of the club also are studying different majors including chemistry, family and consumer sciences, biology and English majors.
“Don’t be intimidated if you are not a finance major,” Parrott said.
Knowing how to invest your money is essential, no matter what your major is, he said.
“You can pick it up at your own pace and get it,” he said.
Parrot is an undeclared freshman but he joined the Finance Club for the learning experience.
“Everyone needs to learn where to put your money,” Tyler Baron, vice president of the finance club, said.
The Finance Club organizes events to get members involved, he said.
“In class they teach by the book,” but the club has “professionals from the field,” Baron said. “Students really get a real life sense of what’s going on.”
-ranaebang@cc.usu.edu