"The financial crisis -- what we do and don't understand."
Professor Bengt Holmström
Wed Jan 19, 02:30-03:30pm, E51-395
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
Why did the US run into a financial panic after 70 panic free years? Why did the crisis
spread so quickly, so broadly? Answers to these important questions are emerging, some of
them unsettling. The lecture will offer an interpretation of the events that pinpoint
major vulnerabilities in the global financial system and suggests some novel avenues for
resolving them.
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 5, 12-01:00pm, W20-491
Wed Jan 19, 12-01:00pm, W20-306; 20 Chimneys
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
Mon Jan 24, 12:45-02:00pm, E62-550
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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Health Reform in the U.S.
Jonathan Gruber, Professor of Economics
Mon Jan 10, 10-11:00am, E51-335
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
This talk will discuss the path to national health reform, the content of the recent health care reform bill, and where we go from here
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Housing Imbalances
Professor William Wheaton
Tue Jan 25, 04-05:00pm, E51-057
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
Professor Wheaton discusses the housing market in terms of a series of "imbalances", in home ownership, geography, and aggregate supply/demand.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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MIT Retirement Plans Overview
Ellen Cushman, MIT Retirement Counselor
Tue Jan 25, 12-01:00pm, W20-306; 20 Chimneys
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Repeating event. Participants welcome at any session
\*\*The January 12th session has been canceled.
This workshop is designed for employees who want a review of the MIT Basic Retirement Plan, the MIT Supplemental 401(k) Plan, and Retiree Health and Welfare benefits and how they work.
Contact: Ellen Cushman, ecushman@mit.edu
Sponsor: MIT Human Resources
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Monitoring Your Portfolio
Paul Gunning, Planning and Guidance Consultant, Fidelity Investments
Thu Jan 6, 12-01:00pm, W20-307; Mezzanine
Mon Jan 24, 12-01:00pm, W20-306; 20 Chimneys
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Repeating event. Participants welcome at any session
This workshop is for those who want to review their portfolio as part of an annual maintenance plan. Topics include: asset allocation strategies; evaluating performance; and understanding when to rebalance.
Contact: Paul Gunning, 258-8872, paul.gunning@fmr.com
Sponsor: MIT Human Resources
Cosponsor: Fidelity Investments
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Personal Finance: 101
Mark Porter'05
Tue Jan 11, 05:30-06:30pm, 10-250
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 2011, but all are welcomed! Taught by Mark Porter, CFP® Class of 2005.
Light snacks will be served. Please register using the link below.
Web: https://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/public/Register.dyn?eventID=50703&groupID=194
Contact: Katie Maloney, W98, (617) 452-3372, kcasey@mit.edu
Sponsor: Alumni Association
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PhD Careers and Internships at Yahoo!
David Reiley, Course 14, PhD '96
Tue Jan 18, 10-11:00am, E51-345
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Technology industry laboratories employ some of the world's best academic computer scientists, and recently they have begun to employ world-class social scientists as well. Yahoo!'s Microeconomics and Social Systems (MESS) group engages in self-directed scientific research in economics, sociology, mechanism design, and human-computer interaction. In this session, I will present the perspective of an MIT economics PhD who spent thirteen years as a university professor before moving to Yahoo! I plan to describe career opportunities at Yahoo! Labs, including the unique opportunities afforded by access to business executives, to data, and to interdisciplinary collaborations with computer scientists and other social scientists. We will look at a sampling of ongoing research projects at Yahoo!, discuss careers at Yahoo! and other technology companies, and talk about internship opportunities for early-year PhD students, particularly in economics. The format will be interactive, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Pricing for Real Consumers: Free Units, Surprise Penalties, and Bill-shock
Michael Grubb, Asst. Professor of Applied Economics, Sloan
Tue Jan 25, 02-03:00pm, E51-145
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Opening a cellular phone bill can lead to a nasty surprise - talking beyond the 'free' allowance can easily incur overage charges several times higher than the monthly fee. Opening a checking-account statement can be just as scary. In 2009, overdraft charges exceeded $35 billion. Firms adopt such pricing tactics - offering allowances of free units followed by steep penalties - as a natural consequence of consumer overconfidence and inattention. Recent regulatory proposals, such as the FCC's proposed bill-shock regulation, may help or harm consumers.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Professional Portfolio Selection Techniques: From Markowitz to Innovative Engineering
Antonella Sabatini
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Prereq: Students encouraged to attend all sessions; not mandatory
A review of the most important and widely used state-of-the-art Portfolio Selection Techniques will be presented. Such techniques could be used by capital firm wealth management institutions as well as for a personal financial portfolio. An introduction to some innovative methodologies, including the GAM model as a tactical asset allocation technique, will be illustrated and some working examples will be presented. 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. 4-day individual sessions event.
Contact: Antonella Sabatini, as@alum.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 18, Wed Jan 19, 12-01:30pm, 56-154
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 19, 12-01:30pm, 56-154
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 20, 12-01:30pm, 56-154
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 21, 12-01:30pm, 56-154
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Quarterly Market Update
Greg Whelan, Regional Planning Consultant, Fidelity Investments
Wed Jan 26, 12-01:00pm, W20-306, Twenty Chimneys
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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Saving for College: What Every Parent Needs to Know
Leader: TBD
Tue Jan 18, 12-01:00pm, E51-115, Wong Auditorium
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
This seminar covers strategies on how to save for your children's education. Learn how much you potentially could 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 13, 12-01:30pm, W20-307; Mezzanine
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
This workshop covers three main areas: 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
Phil Breeding, Regional Brokerage Consultant, Fidelity Investments
Thu Jan 20, 12-01:30pm, W20-306; 20 Chimneys
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
This seminar focuses on stock trading by using popular chart types, technical approaches, and current indicators 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 Out-of-Africa Hypothesis, Human Genetic Diversity, and Comparative Economic Development
Oded Galor Visiting Professor from Brown University
Mon Jan 24, 12-01:00pm, E52-244
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
This research argues that deep-rooted factors, determined tens of thousands of years ago, had a significant effect on the course of economic development from the dawn of human civilization to the contemporary era. It advances and empirically establishes the hypothesis that, in the course of the exodus of Homo sapiens out of Africa, variation in migratory distance from the cradle of humankind to various settlements across the globe affected genetic diversity and has had a long-lasting effect on the pattern of comparative economic development that is not captured by geographical, institutional, and cultural factors. In particular, the level of genetic diversity within a society is found to have a hump-shaped effect on development outcomes in both the pre-colonial and the modern era, reflecting the trade-off between the beneficial and the detrimental effects of diversity on productivity.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Transportation technology, Trade and Globalization
James Feyrer, visiting professor
Wed Jan 26, 03-04:00pm, E51-057
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
How have changes in transportation technology changed patterns of trade? What insights can these changes provide into the importance of trade and globalization in changing world income?
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Poverty and Prosperity
Professor Daron Acemoglu
Wed Jan 26, 11am-12:00pm, E51-151
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
What are the determinants of long-term success for a country? In Adam Smith's time, the poorest country was probably four or five times poorer than the richest. This disparity has grown incredibly- but why? Why do such gaps endure? And if we can diagnose these issues, can we then rectify them?
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Sponsor: Economics
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