Why and How to Passively Invest as a Grad Student or Postdoc

Title: Why and How to Passively Invest as a Grad Student or Postdoc

Format: Live lecture with Q&A (in person or remote)

Intended Audience: Graduate students receiving stipends, postdocs

Length: 60 minutes

Timing: Year-round

Live Seminar Outline: Why and How to Passively Invest as a Graduate Student or Postdoc from Emily Roberts on Vimeo.

Summary: According to the Council of Graduate Schools’ Financial Education: Developing High Impact Programs for Graduate and Undergraduate Students, doctoral students seek information on investing at a higher rate than any other financial education topic (49%). Passive investing is not only the most effective form of investing, but it also fits well with the capital and time constraints that most trainees face. However, graduate students and postdocs often don’t realize that passive investing is within their reach while they are still in training because the method is not advertised. This presentation teaches trainees what passive investing is, why it is a great choice for them, and how to get started with it. It addresses practical considerations like where to open an investment account, which type(s) of tax-advantaged retirement account to use if any, and how to balance investing with other financial goals.

Outline:

• Why invest?
  • Compound interest
  • Inflation risk
  • Types of investments
  • Mutual funds
• What is passive investing?
  • Active vs. passive investing
  • Diversification
  • Index funds
• Why passive investing is a superior method
  • Effectiveness
  • Low cost
  • Low time commitment
• How to get started investing
  • Tax-advantaged retirement accounts
    • Workplace-based
    • Non-workplace-based (compensatory pay)
    • Roth vs. traditional
  • Choosing a brokerage firm
  • Choosing funds
    • What is your goal/timeline?
    • DIY passive investing
    • Lifecycle/target date funds
• Balancing investing with other financial goals
  • A healthy financial picture
  • Choosing how to increase your net worth (investing vs. debt repayment)
• The importance of savings rate

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