Smart Money Moves for Life’s Milestones
On March 5, Steve visited the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Pi (DSP) at the Carlson School of Management. He spoke to this co-ed professional business fraternity about “Financial Preparedness for Life Events: The Real Syllabus They Didn’t Put in Your Course Catalog.”
In this entertaining seminar, Steve took students through the game of Life—the Financial Edition—by examining the money decisions we face as we move through the following major life stages:
- Stage 1: College (Ages 18-22)
- Stage 2: First Job (Ages 22-30)
- Stage 3: Building Life (Ages 30-45)
- Stage 4: Peak Chaos (Maximum Adulting) (Ages 45-60)
- Stage 5: Pre-Retirement and Retirement Transition (Ages 60-75)
- Stage 6: Legacy (Ages 75+)
After giving students an overview of life’s biggest financial issues, Steve took them on a tour of the Financial Mistakes Hall of Fame, followed by a look at Things Nobody Told You about Money. He concluded with 5 Rules That Will Change Your Financial Life. Key takeaways included:
✓ Start saving and investing early
✓ Protect your income (by using risk management and insurance tools)
✓ Spend less than you make
Steve’s goal is to help people become financially prepared to hit life’s curveballs. By the end of the seminar, students understand how to future-proof their finances with behaviors they can start practicing today.
The Carlson School’s DSP chapter is a hub for business students seeking to enhance their career readiness through mentorship, professional development, and networking.
By walking students through a financial timeline of their lives, Steve helped explain how personal finance looks for students, parents, and grandparents, increasing awareness of each stage. He plans to include more risk management issues in future presentations and is encouraged and motivated by the students he met.
“This group was inquisitive, professional, curious, and funny – they were a riot! There’s no reason people like me should have no hope for the future.”
SteveLear.org’s mission is to bring quality personal finance education to every student in Minnesota, equipping them with the skills to build a secure financial future.
In addition to his college-level speaking engagements, Steve is working to help high schools successfully implement the personal finance course requirement by advocating for a standardized personal finance curriculum and advanced training for personal finance teachers.
He is also establishing the Minnesota Jump$tart Coalition to advance youth financial literacy by collaborating with organizations that offer effective financial education resources and programming.
You can learn more about Steve’s personal finance initiatives by visiting Minnesota Jump$tart.
“We loved having Steve, so please extend a thank you to him…I will definitely hand your contact to the next VP Professional Activities for something next semester!”
~ Smrithi Arunkumar, VP, Delta Sigma Pi, Carlson School of Management
