Although credit card delinquencies have fallen to their lowest levels in almost ten years, many Americans still carry substantial balances on their cards each month, according to the American Bankers Association.
Recent studies have found that indebted families — especially those who have experienced unemployment or unexpected medical expenses — use credit cards to pay for basic needs, increasing their future financial vulnerability.
Speakers at the third annual Personal Finance Symposium at the University of Missouri will focus on the challenges presented by living in a world of debt, while addressing other financial issues of the day.
This years symposium is entitled “In Debt We Trust: Living in a Leveraged World.” Personal Financial Planning Department in the College of Human Environmental Sciences and the Mid-Missouri Estate Planning Council.
“People need to have a better understanding of their relationships with money,” said Robert Weagley, chair of the Personal Financial Planning department. “We have assembled a set of national speakers to talk about how people can make better financial decisions.”
Robin Carnahan, Missouri Secretary of State, will speak at 12:30 p.m. on the state’s role in financial markets. Other speakers from throughout the country will discuss changes to the estate tax, as well as research-based presentations about investing in stocks and bonds.
The event is open to the public. The cost is $30 per person, with lunch included. For those seeking four hours of continuing education credit, the cost is $50 per person, including lunch. The cost for students is $10. A one-day parking pass for Hitt Street Garage is included in the price for those that pre-register.
For more information or to make your reservation, contact Amy Sanders at 5673-884-5958 or mail check (payable to University of Missouri) to 14 Gwynn Hall, Columbia, MO 65211.
Program Agenda
• 9:30 a.m.
Welcome and Introduction: Robert O. Weagley, Ph.D., CFP®, Chair, Personal Financial Planning, and Chancellor Brady J. Deaton, University of Missouri
• 10 a.m.
Interest Rate Risk Measurement & Management: Michael Dorigan, Ph.D., Senior Quantitative Analyst, PNC Capital Advisors Philadelphia, Penn.
•11 a.m.
When Logic Leaves the Room: Understanding How Difficult Financial Decisions are Made: Ted Klontz, Ph.D., Author and Principal, Klontz Consulting Group, Nashville, Tenn.
•Lunch - Mark Twain Ballroom, Memorial Union, with The Honorable Robin Carnahan, Missouri Secretary of State
University of Missouri MoTax and Office for Financial Success Student Volunteer Recognition
• 1:30 p.m.
The Quest for Alpha: Larry Sweroe, Principal and Director of Research, Buckingham Asset Management, St. Louis, Mo.
•2:30 p.m.
When Death Do Us Part: Estate Planning Under the New Tax Law: Scott Blakesley, Partner, Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP, Kansas City, Mo.