UConn Today – Junior Chapal Bhavsar is interested in big, sustainable-technology projects, including the creation of climate-friendly power plants, and is eager to use his finance knowledge to find ways to fund their construction.
As one of 14 UConn students, and five faculty and staff, to attend the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan last month, Bhavsar met many people—including some international power figures—who share his ideology.
UConn Today – When professor Lingling Wang teaches finance to undergraduates, she also shares her personal investment strategy. She explains how she builds her portfolio, mitigates risk, and allocates savings for her teenagers to attend college.
“Not all of my students will be CFO of a corporation, but they will all be the CFO of their personal finances,” she said. “I want them to leave my class with knowledge that will be very useful in their lives.”
Professor Greg Reilly, an advocate for innovative learning and a leading strategic management scholar with extensive experience training executives globally, has been appointed interim dean of the School of Business effective Jan. 3. Continue Reading
UConn Today – Two years before he joined the UConn Men’s Soccer Team as a walk-on player, Jack Loura ’24 (BUS) was part of the “goal patrol,” a pack of ardent fans standing behind the opposing team’s net and heckling the goalie.
Loura wrapped up his college soccer career just a few weeks ago, devoting three years to playing for the team and serving as a co-captain. Today he’s pursuing a graduate degree in financial technology at the UConn School of Business. And he’s hoping to further his soccer career with the United Soccer League, parent company of the Hartford Athletic team.
UConn Magazine – Working as the head of an investment management firm for 19 years, Steve Wilson found himself frustrated by the gender disparity he saw in the field. He wanted to hire women as investment professionals but struggled to find enough who were trained and qualified.
“I realized that colleges weren’t preparing enough women to enter the field,” Wilson explains. “I think it was a combination of a lack of awareness of career opportunities and perhaps, to some degree, self-selection — with too many fully qualified women thinking ‘I’m not good enough, so I’m not going to try’ or ‘It’s a hostile space, so why would I put myself out there?’”
UConn Today – Whether they expanded their skills on a U.S. Navy submarine at sea, in a healthcare facility at the height of the pandemic, or by growing career programs at their alma mater, four members of the UConn Business community have been selected as among the most inspiring young leaders in Greater Hartford.
Wallethub – Q: Do you think credit unions and online lenders can compete with the best banks for personal loans?
Credit unions often offer better terms on all of those collateralized loans. I do not know how competitive they are on unsecured loans. Without researching it, I assume they do not offer such loans or limit them. The risk on unsecured loans is quite high, regardless of credit ratings. Large banks have the reserves and the legal teams to take on that risk; I suspect—but do not know—that credit unions are reluctant to take those risks. They do not have the reserves and the legal teams.
While credit unions vary widely in how they are run, I know that my credit union offers car loans three points or more lower than banks and some other credit unions. I also know that its equity lines and mortgages are lower than those of major banks. My bank offers equity loans fully four points higher than the rate on those from my credit union.
On the other hand, I have higher returns on a savings account (at 4.65%) at a commercial bank with no minimum level, much higher than returns offered at any credit union of which I am aware.
The simple reality is that people have to spend some time looking around and considering the options. As my personal experience outlined above suggests, credit unions often offer very competitive rates and services, including credit cards, but for specific products some banks or other credit unions will offer superior terms. However, it is almost always the case that the major banks offer the lowest rates on savings and CDs and insist on the highest rates for loans of any sort. They have the market power so long as people are not willing to invest the time to find better deals.
UConn Today – If you’re in the process or buying or selling a home, or think that will be part of your near-future plans, then the recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement has likely caught your attention.
As part of a class-action lawsuit settlement, the NAR agreed to some changes impacting compensation and representation beginning Aug. 17. The sale or purchase of a home is considered one of life’s biggest stressors. Understanding the new opportunities and requirements of the settlement can put real estate clients at ease.
UConn Today interviewed School of Business professor Kristen Haseney, an attorney with extensive experience in the industry. Below she answers questions about what’s new and what to expect.
CTPost – Efforts to improve Connecticut’s position as a potential host for data centers appear to be stuck in neutral at the moment, despite an increased focus on artificial intelligence and how the two are intertwined.
