Finance



Seniors’ Sweet Tax Breaks Have Become a Target

The PEW Charitable Trusts – As Americans begin the challenge of filling out their tax returns this year, one taxpayer demographic generally pays less than others: senior citizens. Tax breaks for seniors cost states approximately $27 billion a year and will more than double in the next decade, according to a recent study from the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C.


What could happen to Collins’ military GPS business once it’s sold off?

The Gazette – Whoever buys the business likely will not have to physically take over the asset before the merger closes, so long as the two parties have a purchase agreement in place, said Yiming Qian, finance professor at the University of Connecticut, who has researched divestitures made during horizontal mergers.

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Ben Freeman: Cool Under Pressure, Leading by Example

Ben Freeman, above, balances his courseload in the School of Business with being the co-captain of the UConn men's hockey team. (Photo courtesy of UConn Athletics)
Ben Freeman, above, balances his courseload in the School of Business with being the co-captain of the UConn men’s hockey team. (Photo courtesy of UConn Athletics)

UConn men’s hockey co-captain Ben Freeman said it’s hard to describe the feeling when the puck sails into the net, the red goal-light glows, the horn wails, and the crowd roars.Continue Reading



Hometown Advantage? CEOs Tend to Acquire Companies in Familiar Stomping Grounds

UConn Today – Multinational conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway bought CEO Warren Buffett’s struggling hometown newspaper. Amazon acquired Whole Foods, which is headquartered in the same state where CEO Jeff Bezos grew up and owns a home.

New research shows these deals aren’t coincidences. Companies are 2.5 times more likely to acquire firms headquartered in the state where their CEO grew up than similar firms located elsewhere, the study found.

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Coveted Class: Financial Services

Paul Gilson, director and assistant professor of in residence of finance at the Graduate Business Learning Center in Hartford on Aug. 13, 2019. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
Paul Gilson, director and assistant professor of in residence of finance at the Graduate Business Learning Center in Hartford on Aug. 13, 2019. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

The Instructor

Associate professor-in-residence in finance, Paul Gilson grew up in the Thames River town of Gravesend, 20 miles east of London, and earned a degree in mathematics from Bristol University. His plan was always to go on to a Ph.D. “But first,” he says, “I needed a job.” So he went to work in London for KPMG, the global accounting giant. His first day at the office, stock markets around the world collapsed in the Black Monday crash of 1987, still the greatest one-day loss by percentage in Dow history. During the long recovery that followed, KPMG was kept very busy, and Gilson gained extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, a specialty of his department. “The late 1980s in London,” he says. “It was an exciting time.” Continue Reading


While CT’s reserves rise, Wall Street compensation shrinks

Hartford Business Journal – While Connecticut’s budget reserve just hit a new high, one of the driving forces behind that accomplishment may be cooling down. According to a recent report from the New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, compensation on Wall Street was down 6% last year, driven by a 17% drop in bonuses.

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Alum Helps Disruptor ‘Fundbox’ Solve Small Business Cash-Flow Needs

Fundbox Director of Finance Steven Groccia '10 (BUS).  (Contributed Photo)
Fundbox Director of Finance Steven Groccia ’10 (BUS). (Contributed Photo)

For many small business owners, the months-long gap between completing a job and getting paid threatens the growth, potential, or even solvency of their firms.Continue Reading