Investment consultant to large institutions by day and author, educator and advocate by night aptly describes Gene Natali and the multiple hats he wears. I first met Gene at the JumpStart National Educator Conference where he delivered a rousing keynote address that captured the audience's attention. Pulling from the best of behavioral finance, he frames financial issues in a manner that demonstrates the long-term impact of decisions. This will make even the most impulsive young person think twice before making that car buying decision or motivate them to learn more about ROTH IRAs. As you will hear in this podcast, Gene's an incredible advocate who's impacting students in Pennsylvania and nationally. Enjoy!

Details:

• 0:00~2:24 Introduction
• 2:24~7:01 Early money lessons
• 7:01~11:55 Passion for personal finance leading to writing a book
• 11:55~14:58 The importance of investing early
• 14:58~17:49 Stories and anecdotes that resonate with students
• 17:49~20:36 Communicating personal finance topics without the jargon
• 20:36~23:58 Understanding behavioral finance
• 23:58~24:42 Stocks versus index funds
• 24:42~25:11 A Word from NGPF
• 25:11~26:39 Bringing credit scores to life
• 26:39~27:30 Topics students are interested in
• 27:30~31:12 The conversation around student loans
• 31:12~32:21 Plans for The Missing Semester
• 32:21~33:04 Conclusion

Resources:

• The Missing Semester

Quotes:

• “The book was initially written for recent graduates, whether this is from high school or college depending on the choice they make for their career, and as more people read it they said they wished they had read it in college. As colleges began to implement the book into their courses, they said they wish they had read it in high school.”

• “I think that life hits us in different ways and that’s why there is no silver bullet. But, the earlier we start saving and the earlier we start taking steps for financial freedom, the better the odds.”

About the Authors

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

Ren Makino

Ren started interning at NGPF in 2014, and worked part-time through high school and college. With his knowledge growing alongside NGPF, he joined the team to work full-time after graduating from college in 2020. He is also the producer of the NGPF podcast. During his free time, he likes to try out coffees from different roasters across the world.