NGPF Podcast

Alex Tabarrok, an economics professor at George Mason University, holds behavioral finance near and dear to his heart—and he’s got lots to show for it! A staunch advocate of financial education, he co-founded Marginal Revolution University, to bring economics education to the masses (listen to the podcast to learn more about its reach). Listen to Alex describe the power of prediction markets, how he teaches investing, his investing philosophy and the challenges and thrills of developing an online curriculum. Enjoy!

With retirement looming on the horizon and a successful decade-plus tenure at leading non-profit, NEFE [National Endowment for Financial Education], I wanted to get Ted Beck on the podcast to reflect on his experience as a leader in the field. There is so much we can learn from his perspectives on curriculum, teacher PD, research and innovation. He shared his insights on the major achievements as well as the opportunities that lie ahead in the field. Ted’s legacy of creating opportunities for collaboration, instilling a sense of curiosity, and building a great culture at NEFE will live on as he sails (literally) into the Connecticut sunsets. Thanks to Ted for his many contributions! 

Maggie Roble’s students at Centennial High School in Corona, California asked relentlessly why there was no class on practical, financial math they could use outside of classroom. She decided to change things for the better and built a math class from the ground up that would provide her students with those "real-life" skills. She clearly built something the students love? Since the program’s inception just two years ago, she has increased the number of students in her program from 75 students to close to 200!

How'd she do it? Listen to this podcast to learn how she discovered the power of student advocacy and also hear how this go-getter envisions the future of the program. You are certain to be inspired. Enjoy!

Harvard Business School professor, founder of influential investment consultant Greenwich Associates, chair of Yale University investment committee (top performing endowment led by David Swenson), director at Vanguard Investments and one of the earliest proponents of index investing. Oh and he's written many best-selling books too. We obviously had a lot to talk about.  Still working 70 hour work weeks at 80+, Charley generously shares what he's learned over his lifetime as an investor and keen observer of the stock markets. From what he learned from competitive Monopoly games with his siblings to the latest investing trends, you will enjoy our wide-ranging conversation. I was truly honored to have this opportunity and I know you will enjoy it too!  

It started out innocently enough...he wanted to write letters of financial advice to his daughter. J.L. Collins never imagined that his blog would become a favorite source for the financial independence movement and the general investing public. His knack for storytelling and simplifying complex topics has boosted his blog popularity to over two million pageviews per year and convinced him to write a book, The Simple Path to Wealth. Hear how this proponent of index investing (his Stock Series is a must read for those who want to increase their investing knowledge) throws financial rules of thumb out the window and offers advice to teachers on how to best teach concepts, like retirement, to students. Enjoy!

Jeff Snyder, Business Education & Financial Literacy educator extraordinaire at Wayne Valley High School in New Jersey, discovered his passion for teaching after working in corporate America for 30 years. This NGPF ‘17 Fellow inspires students by creating an engaging environment that’s fueled by questions and lively discussions. He found a way to stir up discussions between students and their parents by having them play the NGPF game, Payback, together. Hear how this educator customizes curriculum to fit the needs of his class. His passion for teaching personal finance knows no bounds!

Chris Banks transformed his struggle into a full-time passion project, and so Banksgiving was founded. His non-profit focuses on providing meaningful and comprehensive financial education to youth in Philadelphia. Listening to Chris in this podcast will make clear how he connects with kids and brings his unique life experiences to hook them. While still in its early years, Banksgiving has already made significant progress in providing young people with financial skills they need to succeed.

Melissa Fries has dedicated nearly two decades to ensuring students are equipped with the skills they need to thrive in the future. Initially recruited by her professor as a volunteer for the Making Waves Foundation, Melissa’s enthusiasm for the program has helped shape her to become the Executive Director of the College & Alumni Program. Hear how she, along with her team, enable low income youth to and through college and on to meaningful careers.

Dan Otter, a teacher and Associate Dean, and Scott Dauenhauer, a fee-only financial planner, are both passionate about steering teachers in the right direction when it comes to retirement plans. Thank goodness their paths crossed earlier this century! Their advocacy work over the years (18+ and counting) has helped countless teachers make better decisions.  They methodically highlight the flaws in many 403(b) plans and discuss reforms that could significantly increase this benefit to educators. Hear how Dan and Scott's passion project has evolved over time and learn more about the tools they have developed to help teachers advocate on their behalf for a brighter retirement. 

What follows is the FinTech Panel from the 2018 NGPF Summit in San Francisco, California. As educators, we know how challenging it can be to keep up with all of the innovation occurring in the financial sector. To help make sense of it all, we invited Namrata Ganatra from Stockpile, Bill Dwight from FamZoo and Thea Lee from RaiseMe to this panel moderated by NGPF's own Jessica Endlich. You will learn about their innovative products which help students manage their spending, start investing and earn micro-scholarships. You will also hear how these products leverage the latest behavioral finance research to nudge consumers to make better money decisions. Enjoy!

[Disclosure: Tim's family foundation made an early investment in RaiseMe].