Show me the money

A student group wants to help their peers make smart investments and learn about the financial market through hands-on experience.

The Portfolio Management Team is a student-run investment team that actively works on managing investments of student funds in five different sectors: technology, consumer goods, healthcare, financial services and energy. The group also works to expand students’ knowledge of finance and management.

Team member Chris Russell said the group consists of students from all a variety of majors and backgrounds.

“One of the greatest parts about PMT is the fact that you are around peers who are, for the most part, starting out at the same knowledge level as you,” said Russell, a senior in economics. “There are effective leaders and portfolio managers in the group that have a little more experience and who can answer questions for you about the industries. You never feel like there’s no one that can help you with it.”

Russell shares the significance of having experience in the financial market and being able to leverage the experience in job interviews.

“As a finance major, this comes up all the time – your experience in the market, your knowledge about certain terms and what’s going on in the real world,” he said. “That’s what’s valuable to employers — you take pride in learning about those things.”

Eric Simpson, a senior finance major and president of the team, said it’s important for people to invest their money.

“If you just let your money sit in cash, it’ll decline in value due to inflation,” he said. “It’s important that people get their money into the market and get involved in investing and learn more about it.”

The Portfolio Management Team welcomes students from all disciplines and backgrounds. For more information, email team member Frank Jarquin, fjarqu2@uic.edu