"What Can You Do with an Economics B.S. that Doesn't Involve I- Banking?"
Michael Yankovich, Simone Schaner
Mon Jan 25, 02-03:00pm, E51-372
This panel is designed for M.I.T undergraduates. Michael Yankovich and Simone Schaner, MIT graduate students, will talk
about their early professional experience at BCG, the Urban Institute, and the
Department of Defense. They will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of choosing
this type of job right after college.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Basics of Investing
Paul Gunning, Planning and Guidance Consultant, Fidelity Investments
Wed Jan 6, 12-01:00pm, W20-306
Tue Jan 12, 12-01:00pm, W20-407
Tue Jan 19, 12-01:00pm, W20-306
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Repeating event. Participants welcome at any session
This workshop provides investors with a basic understanding of stocks, bonds, and short-term investments; covers the concepts of asset allocation and diversification; and shows how determining risk tolerance and time horizon can help develop an appropriate investment strategy.
Contact: Paul Gunning, Fidelity Investments, 258-8872, paul.gunning@fmr.com
Sponsor: MIT Human Resources
Cosponsor: Fidelity Investments
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Being an Economics Professor in a Business School
Robert Gibbons and Roberto Rigobon
Thu Jan 21, 01-02:00pm, E51-376
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
This session will discuss how several kinds of economists (in fields such as IO, applied micro, applied theory, macro, and international) have found productive professorial careers in several kinds of faculty groups (including economics, strategy, political economy, and international management) within several kinds of business schools (from Chicago to HBS, and many in between). Of course, professorial career includes both research and teaching, so we will discuss how both may be somewhat different than in an economics department, but also how in many business schools the differences compared to a department are greater in terms of teaching than research.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Careers in Consulting: A Panel Discussion with Two MIT Alumni
William Miracky, Monitor Group, Sean May CRAI
Thu Jan 28, 12-01:00pm, E51-372
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Wonder what PhD economists do in consulting firms? What's the difference between
management consulting and litigation consulting, and which might be better suited to your
skills, talents, and tastes? What do these employers look for in new PhDs? Bring your
questions and a bag lunch to a panel discussion of careers in consulting with two MIT graduates.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Discrete Choice Models for Research
Professor Jerry Hausman
Wed Jan 20, 01-02:00pm, E52-398
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
A discussion of the new Poisson mixture model for count panel data where the underlying Poisson process intensity is determined endogenously by consumer latent utility maximization over a set of choice alternatives.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Fighting Poverty with Scientific Evidence: Findings from the work of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)
Rachel Glennerster, Executive Director, J-PAL
Tue Jan 26, 02-03:30pm, E52-175
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
Policy makers need scientific evidence about what approaches are most effective if they are to make decisions such as how to spend limited education budgets to increase learning, or whether to tackle corruption with top down or bottom up monitoring. The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) within the economics department at MIT rigorously tests different policy options in close cooperation with local partners through the use of randomized evaluations.
This session will cover a brief overview of why randomized impact evaluations are being increasingly used by governments, agencies, and nonprofit groups to evaluate important policy questions. It will also briefly summarize some of the most recent results from J-PAL research.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-232, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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How does Rent Control Affect Housing Markets? Evidence from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Professor David Autor
Thu Jan 21, 03-04:00pm, E52-175
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Rent control provides one of the leading textbook examples of the adverse effects of price regulation on market efficiency. But there is almost no direct evidence of how rent control regulation affects the quantity and quality of housing supplied, the allocation of housing to tenants, and the market value of housing units.
The IAP talk will present initial evidence on how the elimination of rent control in 1995 affected the market valuation of Cambridge housing, as well as Cambridge housing investments. A particular focus of the talk is on externalities stemming from rent control—that is, how rent control laws affected property values of, and investments in, nearby non-controlled properties.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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How the International Monetary Fund Works
Irena Asmundson, IMF
Tue Jan 19, Wed Jan 20, 10am-12:00pm, E51-376, lab session 1/19 2-4 PM
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Come learn what the IMF does, and what information it produces. Tuesday's morning
session will be an overview and introduction, while the afternoon will be devoted to an
exploration of the data produced and used by Fund economists. Wednesday morning will be
an open discussion session, with topics to be determined by the class.
Contact: Irena Asmundson, IAsmundson@imf.org, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Introduction to Corporate Credit Analysis
Andrew Henwood MBA'07
Wed Jan 27, 10am-03:30pm, E51-063
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)
This 2 part workshop covers the key concepts in Corporate Credit analysis including ratings agencies, typical financial ratios & end market diversification in order to determine the credit risk profile of a company.
10-12p An intro to the Investment Grade (IG) bond market & to provide several examples on how bonds are priced, why an IG rating is desirable & the role of relative analysis.
12-1p Break, lunch not provided
1-3:30p An intro to the High Yield (HY) bond markets & how HY companies differ from their IG counterparts. HY bond structure including various covenants, prepayment risk & liquidity risk, including a discussion of the bankruptcy process & what happens when a company becomes distressed. Examples from recent bankruptcies including reasons a company filed & how the process played out.
Register below
Web: https://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/public/Register.dyn?eventID=39961&groupID=194
Contact: Andrew Henwood MBA'07, ahenwood@alum.mit.edu
Sponsor: Alumni Association
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MIT Retirement Plans Overview
Ellen Cushman, MIT Retirement Counselor
Tue Jan 5, Wed Jan 13, 20, 12-01:00pm, W20-306
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Repeating event. Participants welcome at any session
This workshop is designed for employees who want a review of the MIT Basic Retirement Plan and the MIT Supplemental 401(k) Plan and how they work.
Contact: Ellen Cushman, ecushman@mit.edu
Sponsor: MIT Human Resources
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Measuring the Gains from International Trade
Professor Arnaud Costinot
Fri Jan 8, 10-11:00am, E52-398
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
The theory of international trade is rich in reasons why countries may
gain from trade. This talk will provide an overview of recent work in international
trade trying to quantify the magnitude of these gains.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Personal Finance: 101
Mark Porter'05
Tue Jan 5, 05:30-07:00pm, 10-105, Bush Room
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Single session event
MIT has done a great job teaching us how to earn money.
Unfortunately, no one has taught us what to do with it when we get it! This hour long seminar will give you the basics of a financial planning approach. We will cover definitions and best practices regarding:
• Cash Reserves
• Liability Management
• Tax Planning
• Insurance Planning
• Savings Vehicles
• Investments
Class will be most useful for those already working or graduating in 2010, but all are welcomed! Taught by Mark Porter, CFP® Class of 2005.
Pizza will be served. Please register using the link below so we know how much food to order.
Web: https://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/register-login.vm?eventID=38641&groupID=194
Contact: Katie Maloney, W98, (617) 452-3372, kcasey@mit.edu
Sponsor: Alumni Association
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Professional Portfolio Selection Techniques: From Markowitz to Innovative Engineering
Antonella Sabatini
Enrollment limited: first come, first served
Limited to 100 participants.
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Prereq: Students encouraged to attend all sessions; not mandatory
Reviews most important & widely used state-of-the-art Portfolio Selection Techniques, as used by capital firm wealth management institutions as well as for a personal financial portfolio. Introduces innovative methodologies, including the GAM model as a tactical asset allocation technique, with working examples. Gentle introduction to the subject, specifically targeted at undergraduates in Economics, EECS and other fields with interest in quantitative finance, economics and management, with emphasis on innovation and research
Pizza and beverages offered at last class.
Contact: Matthew Goldstein, austein@mit.edu
Sponsor: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Cosponsor: Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
Introduction to Portfolio Management Techniques Part I
Antonella Sabatini
Review of the most important & widely used state-of-the-art Portfolio Selection Techniques. Targeted at people with no knowledge of portfolio management and investment. Process of portfolio construction - Asset allocation: strategic asset allocation; tactical asset allocation. Portfolio
Optimization, Markovitz' model, Black & Litterman (B&L) model.
Tue Jan 19, 12-01:30pm, 4-237
Introduction to Portfolio Management Techniques Part 2
Antonella Sabatini
Conclusion of the theory presented in first session. Working examples of B&L in Excel and/or Matlab. Lab session.
Wed Jan 20, 12-01:30pm, 4-237
Introduction to the GAM Model Part 1
Antonella Sabatini
The GAM Tactical Asset Allocation model will be presented. Quick review of PID feedback control theory. Prereq: having taken 18.03, 8.02, 6.003, and material covered in first two sessions helpful.
Thu Jan 21, 12-01:30pm, 4-237
Introduction to the GAM Model Part 2
Antonella Sabatini
Conclusion of the theory presented in third session. Working example of the GAM model in Excel. Attendees are welcome to bring their own portfolio of securities for a practical application (contact Antonella Sabatini for further
info: asabatin@mit.edu). Lab Session. Pizza and beverages
Fri Jan 22, 12-01:30pm, 4-237
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Prospects for Universal Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S.
Professor Jonathan Gruber
Mon Jan 11, 10-11:00am, E51-345
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
A lecture on the economics and politics of current efforts to provide universal health insurance coverage to Americans.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsy@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Quarterly Market Update
Greg Whelan, Regional Planning Consultant, Fidelity Investments
Thu Jan 28, 12-01:00pm, W20-307
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
This workshop covers the forces influencing the financial markets and the U.S. economy; the factors affecting the performance of domestic and international equity markets; and what drives changes in bond-market interest rates and valuations.
Contact: Paul Gunning, Fidelity Investments, 258-8872, paul.gunning@fmr.com
Sponsor: MIT Human Resources
Cosponsor: Fidelity Investments
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Reboot Your Personal Financial Goals
Alexander Dippold
Wed Jan 20, 12-01:30pm
Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 15-Jan-2010
Limited to 15 participants.
Single session event
As we recover from the recession, many people are reconsidering their personal financial decisions. This seminar is for anyone looking for a fresh financial start, who would like help identifying, clarifying and achieving their financial goals.
At the end of this seminar you will:
• Identify what your money personality is and how it effects your financial decision making.
• Answer three questions which will help you clarify your number one financial goal.
• Begin the journey to achieving your goals with a 9-Step process.
Contact: Alexander Dippold, E60-300, (617) 452-2700, dippold@mit.edu
Sponsor: Alexander Dippold, E60-300, 617 452-2700, dippold@mit.edu
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Saving for College: What Every Parent Needs to Know
Brain Amper, Regional Consultant, Fidelity Investments
Tue Jan 26, 12-01:00pm, W20-307
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
This seminar covers the challenges involved with saving for your children's education. Learn how much you might actually pay for their education and what other resources might be available besides your own savings.
Contact: Paul Gunning, Fidelity Investments, 258-8872, paul.gunning@fmr.com
Sponsor: MIT Human Resources
Cosponsor: Fidelity Investments
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Strategies for Estate Planning
Greg Whelan, Regional Planning Consultant, Fidelity Investments
Thu Jan 14, 12-01:00pm, W20-306
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
This workshop covers three main areas: necessary estate planning tools and documents; how estate tax laws may impact your estate plan; and strategies for estate planning to help reduce your tax liabilities.
Contact: Paul Gunning, Fidelity Investments, 258-8872, paul.gunning@fmr.com
Sponsor: MIT Human Resources
Cosponsor: Fidelity Investments
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Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets
Mahlon Williams, Regional Brokerage Consultant, Fidelity Investments
Thu Jan 21, 12-01:00pm, E51-Wong Auditorium
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
This seminar focuses on stock trading by using popular chart types, technical approaches, and indicators that are used for gauging market trends and momentum.
Contact: Paul Gunning, Fidelity Investments, 258-8872, paul.gunning@fmr.com
Sponsor: MIT Human Resources
Cosponsor: Fidelity Investments
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The Great Recession and Great Depression
Professor Peter Temin
Wed Jan 13, 01-02:00pm, E51-335
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
How are our current problems like the Great Depression? This talk will explore the value
of historical parallels and discuss the role of political and economic thought in
producing financial crises. We will discuss the role of history in predicting the future
of our beleaguered economy.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Working as an Economist in the Federal Reserve System
Paul Willen, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Senior Economist and Policy Advisor
Wed Jan 27, 02-03:00pm, E51-145
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of working for one of the largest single employers of economists in the world. We'll discuss the differences between various branches of the system (supervision versus research) and between the regional Feds and the Board of Governors and other government jobs.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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