Rich Family, Poor Family: Investment Portfolios And Case Studies From USA Today

Abstract

Case studies have become an integral part of the business education curriculum. However, opportunities to use this approach in financial planning are limited because of the lack of cases about individual investors. Although parents could share their finances with their children, a brief survey we conducted indicates that our students are not getting the opportunity to examine the personal financial information of their family members or friends either. This void is leaving students unprepared to enter into careers in financial planning and brokerage. This paper discusses the use of a long-running monthly column from USA Today entitled Your Portfolio, which provides cases on individual investing. The articles can be used to provide students with the opportunity to view the real-world financial circumstances of a range of individuals and to analyze and recommend the best course of action.