Intro to Securitization

Tomorrow's event--securitization. If you've ever wondered what it was exactly, do come check us out. And if you already know everything about securitization, still come check us out.

Our speaker is Fouad Onbargi, a portfolio manager at Aladdin Capital. It's going to be great, so see you there!

Superstar Seniors Panel: Looking Back

This was a little while ago, but just a quick recap of our Superstar Seniors Panel, the last event before spring break. Thanks to all those who came out and asked questions, and for those who couldn't make it, here's a quick summary of what happened.

But first, presenting...our superstar seniors!

Having each secured full-time jobs at various reputable firms, the seniors gave us run-throughs of their college lives and recruiting experiences, as well as useful tips on what we should do to become future superstars like them. They didn't all have the same experiences, but bottom line is to take advantage of opportunities as well as create them for yourself, and to talk to people who've been through it before when in doubt. And to also explore outside of Stern. :)

A New Business Model for Gyms

What motivates you to workout? Whether it be the desire to be in better shape, look better, or just live an active lifestyle, inspiration to go to the gym can sometimes wane. Now think about this; what if your money was on the line? Do you think you might be more prone to keep up with your exercise schedule?



A new Boston based service called Gym-Pact is aiming to capitalize on the idea that people will go to the gym if not doing so would hurt their wallet. Gym-Pact forces its members to pay a "motivational fee" if they don't work out at least one time a week. This system has been tested in a chain of gyms in Denmark where membership is free, but missing sessions forces members to incur a full monthly charge -- so far, it seems to be successful.

The goal is for people to stay healthy and attend the gym on a regular basis -- paying if you DON'T excersize may be the answer to making this a reality for us all.

The iPhone Effect

How the iPhone Led to the Sale of T-Mobile USA

“The iPhone effect cannot be underestimated in this decision,” said Theo Kitz, an analyst at Merck Finck, a private bank in Munich. “Without being able to sell the iPhone, T-Mobile was in an unsustainable position and T-Mobile USA became a problem child.”

After Apple's iPhone became the world's leading smartphone, not being able to sell the iPhone became a major problem for T-Mobile. And now, its competitive position has further worsened because starting this February, Verizon has started to sell iPhones too. Is this really the 'iPhone effect'?

Read more at: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/how-the-iphone-led-to-the-sale-of-t-mobile-usa/?smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto

Superstar Seniors Panel

Hi Guys,

Don't forget, Superstar Seniors Panel tomorrow. Come get all your questions answered, and maybe give yourself something to think about over spring break. It's going to be interactive and fun, and really an opportunity for you to ask our experienced seniors everything and anything (well, almost). See you there!

Networking 101: Looking Back

Quick flashback to our Networking 101 event this past Thursday- Our standard news update, followed by a talk by upperclassmen Chris Park and Sameen Singh. They brought in their past experiences networking their way into the job market and strung together a "what / what not to do" for all the job-seeking underclassmen (and other upperclassmen!) Just a little advice from our awesome e-board members.

Wealth Management Firm For Rock Stars

One day in 1994, while recovering from a ruptured pancreas, Guns ‘N Roses bassist Duff McKagan was puttering around his basement when he happened upon the group's financials from the previous six years. Flipping through the reports he had a bit of a panic attack when he realized, “I couldn’t make sense of it. I didn’t know how much we had made or lost on the tour. So he decided to take some finance classes at Santa Monica Community College and while fronting his new band, Velvet Revolver, started giving financial advice on the side.

It was around that time that McKagan realized a couple things. 1) That he was pretty good at this money management stuff and 2) fellow musicians were comfortable being counseled by him because he didn’t “wear a suit” and therefore wasn’t representative of The Man. And that’s when a lightbulb went off.

He would team up with someone who had a little bit but not much more financial wisdom to impart but who wouldn’t scare off anti-Establishment rockstars with his fancy degrees and experience in the industry because Duff would be there to tell them the guy was cool. McKagan found him in former banker Andy Bottomsley. Together the two will launch Meridian Rock, which will “educate rockers about their finances instead of pandering or lying to them,” and will be straight with colleagues re: whether or not they’re completely broke. The firm is actively seeking money managers in Europe and the US. Here’s what will be expected of you.

No word on comp but it seems as though you could easily work in some guarantees for a few groupies at year’s end.

Are You Tired?

How many of you have said "I am tired" today? Everyone experiences fatigue but did you know that severe chronic fatigue can actually be an illness?

In October 1985, 8 children went on a sledding trip together and within weeks, all of them fell ill. Their symptoms resembled those of the flu but they lasted for weeks, months, and even years. This mysterious illness that rendered the children unable to get out of bed spread throughout the village and eventually affected 214 people within a 30-mile radius.

The number of Americans estimated to have this illness, which is clinically named Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, is 1 to 4 million. And because of CFS, annual productivity lost to the U.S. economy is estimated to be about $9.1 billion.



So, the next time your friend tells you that he/she feels tired, make an effort to ask him/her how long this has been going on and perhaps inform of them of the existence of CFS.

Federal Reserve Event

Also, new event coming up.

We're co-sponsoring with EHS to bring Debby Perelmuter, Senior VP of Research at the Federal Reserve. Come out to learn about the financial crisis, the Federal Reserve's response to the financial crisis and to find out more about working in the Federal Reserve. We're sure a lot of your questions will be answered.

See you guys there!

Protest, Power and the Economy

We all know about the protests that have been going on one after the other in the Middle East. Is this random? Perhaps not. Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Bahrain--what do they have in common? And what's next?

So apparently, it could be a combination of unemployment rate and length of dictatorship that drives likelihood of protest. The graphic below pretty much summarizes in all: green dot shows how many years the current leader has been in power, white dot shows the rate of unemployment.

Perhaps the protests are going to stop spreading for a while...

(From: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663331/infographic-of-the-day-where-will-protests-strike-next-in-the-middle-east)

Apple's New iPad - Can it Keep the Momentum?

Apple's about to announce the release of their new iPad tomorrow, March 2nd. As we know, the original iPad is one of the fastest selling consumer electronic device, the question is will the Apple and iPad 2 be able to live up to their customers' expectations?

We can get an interesting look at this with looking at Apple's stock fluctuations with the news release tomorrow morning.

Interested? You can follow the release of the iPad 2 at: http://live.gizmodo.com/

Reminder - We do have an event on Thursday, March 3rd. It is a wonderful Networking 101 event and it will be very useful for recruitment all year round. We look forward to seeing you there!