Investor Education for College Freshman and Teachers

The Garrison Financial Institute received a $75,000 grant from the Investor Protection Trust Foundation in Washington, D.C. to introduce the basics of savings and investing to University of Arkansas students, teachers, and minority middle and high school students.

“We are very pleased to receive this grant to provide investor education to University of Arkansas students as well as to junior high and high school teachers and minority high school students,” said Wayne Lee, executive director of the Garrison Financial Institute. “The information conveyed to freshmen and public school teachers will not only raise their awareness about the importance of financial planning and establishing a personal savings and investment program but also reduce their susceptibility to fraud by making them more knowledgeable consumers of financial products and services. In addition, we want to interest non-business students, younger students and teachers in finance and business.”

This year, under the staff mentorship of Rochelle Costrell, Assistant Director,  the Garrison Financial Institute presented the “Surviving the Global Financial Market Place” program to over 1200 freshmen from four colleges.   The Institute also delivered a professional development program to elementary, middle and high school teachers in Northwest Arkansas.

Topics covered in “Surviving the Global Financial Market Place” include:

• Why it is important to save and invest
• Explaining, stocks, bonds and mutual funds
• The power of compound interest with an emphasis on beginning to save as a young adult
• Risk -  how it affects your return on investment
• The effects of  credit card and consumer debt on your future
• Tax efficient savings and investing
• How to avoid  fraudulent investment schemes

The Investor Protection Trust is a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education. Since 1993, the trust has worked with states to provide independent, objective investor education needed by all Americans to make informed investment decisions. For more information, go to http://www.investorprotection.org/.