Save Today, Secure Tomorrow

As you may or may not know, I am an economics major with a minor in business. Last semester I had the opportunity to study in Pavia, Italy which is a small-town south of Milan. With a population of 80,000, not many tourists visit which makes English hard to come by. I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world while I studied there. I also traveled to many different countries where I was exposed to different cultures and ideas. I loved it so much, that I came back to campus where I have been involved with GLOBE: Global Leaders Orange and Blue Engagement. The main purpose of the organization is to introduce foreign students to domestic student life. I really enjoy showing my students around campus and introducing them to the various activities they said they had only seen in movies, like a fraternity party. On-campus I am also the President and Founder of the Personal Finance Club. This helps me learn more about financial topics while educating fellow Illini on how to obtain a better relationship with money and manage their finances.

While I was in Italy, I took a class on emerging markets which sparked my interest in international business. This led me to seek a transfer pricing role that resides in tax. Luckily, I just received a job offer from Deloitte this week and I intend on accepting the offer as a Transfer Pricing Consultant. With that being said, I know exactly how much I will be earning and the benefits I will have which makes me fairly aware of how to mitigate any future income risk. Luckily, I believe I have medical, dental, and vision insurance at a pretty good price which is a huge help in mitigating any risks that could destroy my number one asset: myself. I also realize that just because I will be making a healthy salary doesn’t entice me to spend it on luxury goods.

Before attending this university, I knew that I was going to have to pay for my schooling myself. I was extremely fortunate to have been a caddy for the past 8 years which allowed me to save during the summer to spend on tuition, books, and housing. However, in the past three years, Bob O’ Link Country Club has awarded me with a $9,000 scholarship to put towards school. This was an extreme help and allowed me to take minimal loans for the past two years. In fact, between the scholarship, the money I made over the summer, and my on-campus jobs I was able to pay for my junior and senior year myself. This includes my study abroad experience. For my entire schooling, I have right around $12,000 in loans under my name. I also have a $1,200 medical bill but that is another story. To pay my loans off, I plan to live at home for a few months after graduation. This will allow me to avoid paying rent and pay off my loans. I also plan to build an emergency fund during that time in case of any serious injury or a layoff occurs. I already have some money put into a Roth IRA that has started to accumulate and a few riskier stock picks in a money market account as we discussed in class. This past summer I interned for Northwestern Mutual as a College Financial Representative, so I have a good insurance strategy set in place for myself that will start around the age of 25. I also purchased myself a car from a Grandmother that only drove it 50,000 miles. Being a Toyota, I am certain it will be running for quite some time. While I know some possible unexpected things may arise, I know that the best way to stay afloat is to save more money than you spend. Luckily, at the end of the day, I am pretty good at saving and watching my wealth grow.